[SBE] Fwd: [sbe-eas] EAS in American Samoa

[Richard Rudman]

As some of us have said before, EAS works best when broadcasters and  
local emergency management have a clear understanding of their  
respective roles and work together.
Goverment's Job One in emergency public information is to issue timely  
and meaningful warnings for events that than put the public at risk.  
Broadcasting's role is to disseminate said warnings.

As we are learning more about what happened in American Samoa, it is  
become more clear that one alert broadcaster did the right thing --  
above and beyond what their emergency warning called for. Commendable,  
but only goes to point out the source of many warning failures  -- the  
legally mandated origination point.

As you read what I have forwarded, there is also evidence that pleas  
by that broadcaster to local government to better prepare fell on  
apparently deaf ears.

So, we have here:

!. An example of a worst case disconnect between emergency management  
and the broadcast community for EAS.
2. The best recent illustration I can think of for the lack of  
understanding of the lifesaving role warnings can play during an  
emergency by government.

CAP can do a lot, but the discipline of emergency management must be  
revised to start with warnings, not response.

Richard Rudman
Vice-Chair, CA SECC



Begin forwarded message:


> From: Rich Parker <rparker at vpr.net>

> Date: October 6, 2009 9:06:16 AM EDT

> To: "SBE EAS Exchange - a mail list for discussion about the  

> Emergency Alert	System and other emergency communication issues." <sbe-eas at sbe.org 

> >

> Subject: [sbe-eas] EAS in American Samoa

> Reply-To: "SBE EAS Exchange - a mail list for discussion about the  

> Emergency	Alert System and other emergency communication issues." <sbe-eas at sbe.org 

> >

>

> Posting this for Kirk Harnack - I thought it might be interesting  

> for folks to read (and react?): (note that there was a question  

> raised about the length of the 'recorded voice message' - not sure  

> at this point what the explanation was ) - Larry Fuss is President  

> of South Seas Broadcasting, Kirk Harnack is owner/engineer.

>

> -rp

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Larry Fuss [mailto:larry at larryfuss.com]

> Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2009 11:57 AM

> To: larryfuss at lvcoxmail.com

> Subject: EAS

>

> It's not very often you see these two events on an EAS log:

>

> ****** EAS ALERT SENT BY KKHJ/FM  ******

> SENT      9/29/2009  7:13:46 WST

> BROADCAST STATION ALERT

> A EARTHQUAKE WARNING

> HAS BEEN ISSUED

> FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

>  Entire State  AS

> UNTIL  8:13 WST

> JULIAN DATE: 272 TIME:  7:13 WST

> ORIGINATING STATION: KKHJ/FM

> RECORDED VOICE MSG  1034.3 Seconds

> ********* EOM SENT BY KKHJ/FM  *********

> SENT      9/29/2009  7:14:54 WST

>

>

> ****** EAS ALERT SENT BY KKHJ/FM  ******

> SENT      9/29/2009  7:29:36 WST

> BROADCAST STATION ALERT

> A TSUNAMI WARNING

> HAS BEEN ISSUED

> FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

>  Entire State  AS

> UNTIL 10:59 WST

> JULIAN DATE: 272 TIME:  7:29 WST

> ORIGINATING STATION: KKHJ/FM

> RECORDED VOICE MSG     0.0 Seconds

> ********* EOM SENT BY KKHJ/FM  *********

> SENT      9/29/2009  7:31:30 WST

>

>

> I was able to determine that it was Joey who made the call to  

> activate EAS for a tsunami warning after the earthquake hit and  

> BEFORE there was any official notice of a tsunami warning.  He knew  

> what was about to happen and he acted on it, while the various  

> government officials who are supposed to be on top of these things  

> were standing around scratching their asses wondering what to do  

> next.  It was because of Joey's action that we managed to get off an  

> EAS alert and advise people to head for higher ground before the  

> tsunami hit.  Joey's action probably saved many lives!  It's too bad  

> we went off-air shortly thereafter and were unable to keep the  

> public aware of what was happening in the aftermath of the tsunami.   

> I do know that KNWJ relayed the warning immediately, and I assume  

> KULA did too.  However, I know damn well that KSBS did not because  

> they have never adhered to EAS protocol and have NEVER configured  

> their EAS gear in accordance with the EAS plan.  I might also add  

> that when Joey called the National Weather Service office and asked,  

> he was told that no tsunami warning had been issued!

>

> I heard a press conference the governor conducted on Friday in which  

> he and various other officials all stood around and patted  

> themselves on the back for the great job they were doing with  

> disaster recovery.  Not a single one of them mentioned KHJ and  

> thanked us for the role we played in saving lives. It was typical  

> political grandstanding.

>

> As I mentioned, we went off-air when the Satala power generating  

> station was swamped by the tsunami.  We lost power at Pago Plaza and  

> at our transmitter site on Mt. Alava.  That should never have  

> happened.  As the primary EAS station, we've been asking for  

> generators for years.  Just three months ago, Joey made a passionate  

> plea to Cinta Brown again and was essentially ignored.  Less than 6  

> weeks ago, Joey and I stood in the parking lot of Pago Plaza and I  

> described to him exactly how it was going to happen.  I told him how  

> the tsunami was going to sweep up the harbor, taking out the power  

> plant and the Pago Plaza generator.  I told him that we were  

> probably safe on the second floor, but that we needed a rooftop  

> generator to stay on-air. Terribly eerie, BUT IT HAPPENED EXACTLY AS  

> I DESCRIBED IT TO HIM ONLY SIX WEEKS AGO!

>

> We may never have another tsunami in our lifetime, but there's  

> always the danger of a devastating cyclone.  And need I remind you  

> that cyclone season is upon us in the south Pacific?  That being the  

> case, it's time to stop just paying lip service to disaster  

> preparedness.  Why does the primary EAS station not have  

> generators?  Why are there no warning sirens anywhere on the  

> island?  Why does the government-owned TV station not have any EAS  

> gear? Why does KSBS continue to ignore EAS requirements?  Why are  

> there so many government employees at TOHS, TEMCO, etc. who do  

> nothing more than push paper, play Solitaire, go to off-island  

> seminars, and drive their government-issued vehicles to the  

> McDonald's drive through and to church on Sunday?  I literally sat  

> down and cried when Joey told me they had pulled the bodies of three  

> little girls from the stream alongside Pago Plaza.  We all could  

> have done more to prevent something like this from happening, but  

> going to off-island seminars was of higher priority than buying  

> generators. Even one death is one too many.

>

> Having been through a devastating ice storm in Mississippi in '94,  

> I've

> instilled a sense of importance in my staff to take this stuff  

> seriously and they do.  Joey's actions illustrate that.  He saved  

> lives and deserves a

> medal!

>

> I'm sending this to practically everybody I know in the hope that  

> somebody will pick up this story and run with it.  I want to go  

> testify before Congress about the millions of dollars they sent to  

> American Samoa for disaster preparedness, yet most of it is wasted  

> by an inept territorial government and not spent where it would make  

> any significant difference.

>

> Please pass this e-mail along to anyone you think might help stir  

> the pot.

>

> I've been critical of how things were done in American Samoa before,  

> but

> this time I will not sit down and shut up.  I'm doing this for those  

> three little girls and their families and I don't care whose toes  

> get stepped on.

>

> My contact information is below (Las Vegas).

>

> Larry Fuss, President

> South Seas Broadcasting, Inc.

> KKHJ-FM / 93KHJ

> WVUV-FM / V103

> KKHJ-TV30 / Island Television (Cable 10)

> The Island Info Channel (TV13)

> PO Box 6758

> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799

> Phone 684-633-7793

> Fax 684-633-4493

> larry at khjradio.com

> www.southseasbroadcasting.com

>

> Mainland address:

> 9408 Grand Gate Street

> Las Vegas, NV  89143

> Phone 702-898-4669

> Fax 208-567-6865

> Cell 702-328-4669

> larry at larryfuss.com

>

> -- 

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>

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