[sbe-eas] The Next National EAS test is coming

[Dave Anderson]


Ken,

We received the NPR PEP RWT via the Squawk channel.     Heres what the Sage saw:


This automated message was sent by a Sage Digital ENDEC.  Do not reply to this
message.

------------
Alert Received at 07/26/23 20:20:32 on monitor #2
Matched Filter OTHERS
A Primary Entry Point System has issued a Required Weekly Test for all of the
United States beginning at 8:20 pm and ending at 8:50 pm (NPR 1)
ZCZC-PEP-RWT-000000+0030-2080020-NPR 1   -
Log Only.


PRSS had notified us about the test, as seen below:

On Wednesday July 26, 2023, in order to assess continued equipment performance and readiness for the resilient EAS, FEMA plans to conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System using the RWT alert code.  The NPR Primary Entry Point test is scheduled for 8:20 PM EDT.  The test will be approximately 30 seconds in duration and include a short, standard audio test message.

This test in in preparation for the Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System using the NPT alert code later this year.

No action is required at the station level, with exception of your awareness this is a planned FEMA test utilizing the RWT alert code.



Warm Regards,

Dave Anderson, CBRE
Chief Broadcast Engineer
WUSF Public Media
andersond11 at wusf.org<mailto:andersond11 at wusf.org>
Call on Microsoft Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=andersond11@usf.edu>
727-514-8050 Mobile
813-974-8650 Office
www.wusf.org<http://www.wusf.org/>





Sent from my iPhone.  Sorry for any typos!

On Jul 27, 2023, at 1:29 PM, Ken Evans <ken_evans at wmdt.com> wrote:





There was a RWT test last night on the NPR Squawk Channel sent by FEMA.  I think it was only intended to be received at NPR stations and recorded on their EAS boxes.  But at least one station sent it out as an RWT.

Gary Timm provided the following information.  So, we now know that it was sent out by FEMA.

A PEP RWT was transmitted by the FEMA EAS unit located at PEP Station WTMJ transmitter site.
That unit utilizes the "L-Code/STN-ID" "WTMJ 1", seen in the decoded message below.
It was sent yesterday at 20:19 CDT (8:19 PM CDT), and carried the audio message:
(about 4 seconds silence, followed by) This station is testing the Emergency Alert System. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the alert tone. This concludes this test. (followed by about 4 seconds of silence).

So this message apparently interrupted programming on at least this PEP station, and was sent directly to FEMA's EAS unit located at that transmitter site. Thus distribution was wider that just the NPR Squawk channel.

Here is the printout:
07/26/23 20:20:16 Required Weekly Test, Matched filter OTHERS, Received on Monitor 2. Timed Ignore. EOM received 07/26/23 20:20:38.
A Primary Entry Point System has issued a Required Weekly Test for all of the United States beginning at 8:19 pm Wed Jul 26 and ending at 8:49 pm Wed Jul 26 (WTMJ 1)

I am wondering how many other NPR stations received the alert?    I was thinking that it looks like they are getting ready for another National test.  Although nothing has been received about that yet.

And today in TV Technology's newsletter they included a Radio World article link on that very subject.

https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/fema-plans-the-next-national-eas-test

So, I guess that FEMA will be having another national test later this year.

Regards,

Ken Evans


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