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

[McGlothen, Darryl]

Richard,

 

I have forwarded the contents of your message to the Chairman of the
Spokane County EAS Committee, Nels Nelson in advance of their upcoming
Committee Meeting. It is a sad state of affairs that, unless someone is
immediately impacted by a potential event, they pay no heed to warnings
to prepare. I hope we on the 'mainland' have not become too complacent
to learn a lesson from the ineffectiveness of an ill-prepared
establishment on the island state of American Samoa. The rallying cry
for those who recognize the pending danger should be, "Remember - three
little girls!".

 

 

Darryl McGlothen, CBNT

KLEW-TV, Ch. 3-1

Lewiston, ID

Member, SBE Chapter 117

 

 

 

 

From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of
Richard Rudman
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:00 AM
To: EAS Committee SBE
Subject: [SBE] Fwd: [sbe-eas] EAS in American Samoa

 

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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