[SBE] Working the kinks out of EAS

[Bob Reite]

This is why a RMT should be issued from FEMA, to check on the 
propagation. I don't think it would cause a panic, because at least in 
Pennsylvania, RMTs issued from PEMA are a normal monthly event, and 
really exercise the system.  As far as I'm concerned, RWTs are pretty 
much useless.  They check that the encoder works, and that the decoders 
work, but do not reveal issues, such as messages expiring and never 
getting forwarded because of propagation delays.

russ at russvanderhorst.info wrote:

> Hi All,

> 

> I have been following the conversation on the problems with EAS, and I have to admit that I 

> am bothered by the fact that something that is critical to the infastructure of our country is in 

> such poor condition. 

> 

> Hypothetical situation (and I pray this never happens), but let's say there were a biological 

> attack on Boston, MA. I live in NH, about an hour out of Boston. Many people who live in NH 

> commute to MA to work, including into Boston. Add to this the fact that many people near the 

> MA/NH border come to NH to shop as we don't have sales tax here...I could see a biological 

> threat to the New England states moving very quickly, and with little or no warning. 

> 

> again, I hope that this is something that never happens, however if it did...how hard would it 

> be to set up a national test of EAS. Of course, you would want to announce this several 

> weeks in advance that it is a test, and only a test...but I wouldn't think it would be that difficult 

> to do. If various people/agencies around the country knew the test was coming and when, it 

> would be possible to measure it's penatration and speed of propagation, find out what does 

> and doesn't work, and figure out a standard to make everything work as it should. 

> 

> If such an act were performed on the United States, travel would have to be frozen in order 

> to contain the situation, instructions would have to be given. you would of course get the 

> standard government message that "everything is under control" (whether it was or wasn't). 

> It is my (perhaps incorrect) understanding that if a national alert needed to be issued, it has 

> to be done within 10 minutes, and under the conditions I mentioned above, everyone should 

> be sitting still not going into or out of the danger area within 15 minutes. This is something I 

> would thing that congress and the president and the FCC would want to have working, yet 

> we are in a condition where we don't know if it works or not. Just my two cents worth, but if 

> the broadcast industry is not 100% certain the system works, then congress and the FCC 

> should be listening and doing everything they can to get the system fixed. 

> 

> Russ 

> 

> my webpage

> http://russvanderhorst.info

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