[BC] That EAS Handbook

[patrick roberts]

I really wished they'd divert some of FEMA's money to NOAA and just
let them be the all hazards emergency people and the head-end of our
EAS system.  NOAA in general is so much more responsible folks than
FEMA, Dept. of Public Safety (cops), or the state EOCs.  If they
generated the monthly tests, they'd happen and right on time.  If
there was simply a bat-phone local telephone number for the local
regional office that all of the local authorities could call and give
their password and their info to them, things would work great.

On a national basis, quite honestly, the FCC needs to go make friends
with Clear Channel and see about using their backup system they have
in place as a national entry point.  They have a very good backup sat.
feed network that they have the ability of taking over stations by
remote when they need to and replacing local audio with what's off the
bird.  How cool would it be if they were able to turn around national
EAS stuff to all of their stations at once?

On a different note, NPR sends down a weekly test for the national EAS
on their squawk channel.  They listen directly to WIYY (98 Rock/
Baltimore).  State EAS coordinators would be smart to encourage their
local NPR affilates to hook up their squawk to their eas units and get
the P1 and P2 to monitor the NPR station to get it into the system.
In our state our state EOC is supposed to pick up WBAP in Dallas.
That relies on a phone line fom WBAL/WIYY from WBAP to work, and then
for our state EOC to be able to get WBAP.

PR