[BC] Re: FCC must ward off FEMA

[Mike McCarthy]

It's those areas which we would least expect it, rural areas.  But in 
relative terms of reactive resources needed, a much larger drain on the 
local environment is required than a larger metro area which has a much 
higher level/capacity to respond to intrusions or other 
actions.  Remote/rural areas often will require more resources in a mass 
response than a similar action a urban area. In a large medical event, 
hospitals/acute medical care is MUCH father away, thus requiring many more 
ambulances and longer trips to critical care facilities. In that fashion, 
it's the classic distract with a number of small incidents, then hit the 
intended target when the otherwise dormant near-by resources are diverted.

FEMA is accurate when they state emergency preparation is for everyone.  It 
includes necessary protection of infrastructure for prominent and/or 
functionally important businesses so they can continue to provide services 
during unusual occurrences and conditions.  Radio stations are just 
that...a prominent business providing a service.  Being off the air creates 
an extremely high level of anxiety in the impacted area because the 
population simply takes for granted that radio stations will be there. If 
the local stationS are down, the population looses a stabilizing staple of 
their daily life and disrupts an otherwise normal life flow.

Been there...when the public notices you are down for a longer than normal 
period of equipment failure and repair, it's a VERY uneasy feeling.  Being 
on the air calms the nerves...even if it's simply music on the air.  The 
locals at least know someone else is around...

MM

At 08:54 AM 8/30/2006 -0500, Mark Earle wrote
>Your points about echonomic chaos are well taken.
>
>However, the other reality is, at the small market level, there are seldom
>any "nice to do" dollars left over. We take reasonable precautions, but
>ultimately, we can't hire armed security at each tx site, nor can out
>studios be a bunker - we do have to interact with listeners and other
>business entities.
>
>
>On 8/30/06, Mike McCarthy <Towers at mre.com> wrote:
>>
>>Your casual approach to station security is exactly what a terrorist will
>>play on should they target your operation.  Terrorism isn't solely related
>>to bombs and suicide missions.  If Al Quieda (SP) could, it would have
>>extracted as well as continue to execute more economic damage than simply
>>dropping two of our most prominent business buildings.  The, as well as
>>every other extremist, were jumping for joy when Katrina came ashore,
>>followed immediately by Rita.  Those two storms caused 3 times the damage
>>of the twin towers collapse...12 digits worth.
>>
>>Their end game is to see secular capitalism fail, then come in and take
>>over to impose their beliefs and societal structure.  They use physical
>>violence to disrupt commerce.  Any means to disrupt commerce to them is in
>>play.  They use murder as a tool/means to an end.  Not an end in itself.
>>
>>No business should overlook planning and protection of their mission
>>critical systems from any form of terrorism  Be it physical or electrical.
>>
>>MM
>>
>>At 07:19 AM 8/30/2006 -0500, Mark Earle wrote:
>> > From the article:
>> >
>> >"They literally had staff in there seven days a week and (this is
>> >particularly impressive to me) they *called* (emphasis original) every
>>radio
>> >(and I guess TV) station along the Gulf Coast, reaching out to see what
>>the
>> >situation was."
>> >
>> >I recall getting such a call, as Rita was deciding where to go. Our city
>> >called for an evacuation - everyone was a bit gun-shy after Katrina. The
>>FCC
>> >staffer asked questions such as our generator capability, might our
>>studio
>> >or transmitter sites flood, etc. One thing I recall as odd, they wanted
>>the
>> >street address of the transmitter sites. Why? They of all people should
>>be
>> >able to pull them up on a map! I figured the staffer was using some
>>consumer
>> >mapping product that only searched by stret name/ zip codes.
>> >
>> >On the other hand, there was a DHS/FBI letter unrelated to storms, from a
>> >cybercrime unit, wanting me to complete a survey. The gist of it was (I
>> >guess) that a terrorist could take over the radio station by taking over
>>our
>> >computers, or, cause us business loss, or something. So I'm thinking,
>> >terrorist.. delete the c: drive, or blow something up? I figured that
>> >cybercrime wasn't something a terror group was likely to do, compared to
>>the
>> >more mundane physical acts of terror. Of course, to some folks, a
>>computer
>> >problem of any sort is terror! :)
>>
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>
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