[sbe-eas] FCC Proposes Multilingual Alerting

[Adrienne Abbott]

Larry-

The responsibility for EAS messages lies with what the FCC refers to as the
"alert originator". Broadcasters and cable TV operators no longer originate
EAS messages. Very few stations have a staff person available 24/7/365 who
knows how to program an EAS activation, record an audio message, and push
the Send button on their EAS equipment. And those that do risk violating FCC
rules because the only way broadcasters and cable TV operators can send an
EAS activation is through the use of what we call "Legacy" EAS, which
depends on Local Primary stations with full-time, 24/7/365 staff trained to
handle activations. Even with a qualified staff to generate an activation,
Legacy EAS has no way to match the text of the audio message with the text
displayed on the crawl generated by the station's EAS equipment. And the
stations don't have the 24/7/365 staff available to answer the phone calls
from listeners or viewers who didn't hear the audio message and want more
information and end up calling 9-1-1 to find out if they are in danger.  

 

The various problems with Legacy EAS activation are why many public safety
agencies now generate EAS activations through the use of Common Alerting
Protocol, or CAP. In fact, the FCC mandates that all EAS equipment be
capable of receiving and transmitting EAS tests and activations through CAP,
but the station EAS equipment only receives and retransmits CAP messages.
Broadcast EAS CAP equipment does not originate CAP EAS activations.  

 

It appears on first reading that the FCC proposal might possibly be
suggesting that "alert originators" develop the templates which they will
"distribute" to broadcasters and others as needed for appropriate EAS
activations. Without getting into the technical details of how this template
distribution process would happen and how the template appropriate to the
emergent would be sent, there are already issues with the idea of having
"alert originators" develop these templates. 

 

While the FCC does not regulate "alert originators", FEMA assures us that
all states now have access to a CAP program to generate EAS tests and
activations in the CAP platform.  In working with one local "alert
originator" to develop a Spanish translation of a standard script and audio
for EAS Required Monthly Tests issued by that agency, we (the Nevada EAS
SECC) discovered that there are specific requirements for the audio
translation and the written text message. In other words, an emergency
management agency, sheriff's office, police department, fire department,
health department or any other agency which might originate an EAS
activation can't just go out in the hallway and ask one of their
Spanish-speaking employees to translate some scripts and prerecord some
audio messages for various templates which someone at the agency uses their
crystal ball to judge might be the emergencies most likely to occur in their
jurisdiction. 

 

As we learned from our local Language Bank, the vocabulary for translating
public warnings is very specific and translators must be trained and
certified in the proper use of that vocabulary for their translations to be
used in EAS, WEA and any other form of public warning. As can be expected,
these trained and certified public warning translators don't provide their
services for free. The agency issuing the activation, the "alert originator"
in FCC-talk, must pay for the services of that trained and certified public
warning translator. 

 

Of course, the "alert originator" could pay the charges for a one-time
session of a Language Bank translator to translate multiple messages for
multiple templates, and then hope and pray that they covered all the bases
and that they have the one size that fits all translation to fit their
public warning needs. Otherwise, the agency is stuck with paying a retainer
for keeping a trained and certified translator on call and available
24/7/365 or paying a one-time bill for services, assuming that they are able
to find a trained and certified translator at the last minute, or they take
the option of not issuing an EAS activation and instead send out the warning
on their own agency platforms, subscription services, email lists, and
Social Media. 

 

Basically, "it doesn't work that way". 

 

Adrienne

 

Adrienne Abbott, W6BCY

Nevada EAS Chair

"Radio burps, it cries, it needs to be fed all the time, it requires
constant attention, but we love it." Jim Aaron WGLN 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist7.pair.net/pipermail/sbe-eas/attachments/20240126/3c3d4e1a/attachment.htm>