FIRST NATIONWIDE TEST OF EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Nov 8, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Daniella Martinez,
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, November 9 at 1:00 p.m. CT, the federal government will conduct the first ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). All regularly scheduled television, radio, cable and satellite shows will be interrupted for about 30 seconds as the system is being tested.
“As the former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response in the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, I am pleased to see the initiation of our national alert system,” Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) said. “The federal government has used advancements in technology to provide a method of communication vital to the protection of the public.”
The test is being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Under the FCC’s rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wireline video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential EAS messages to the public. The test will help determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of dangers. The test also allows the FCC and FEMA a chance to identify needed improvements in the EAS.
