[EAS] FEMA conformity assessment

Wed Apr 6 20:34:08 CDT 2011

My understanding is the conformant products will be listed on the www.rkb.us website, which is indeed a FEMA website.  You'll just have to dig to make sure the product youre looking at is actually IPAWS conformed (everybody can list there, but the SDoC is what you need to look for).

The SDoC can be accompanied by a copy of the Test Results on line.

The restriction is that FEMA is not saying that any product is certified, or approved, or sanctioned, and is telling vendors not to represent their product with any of those sorts of terms.   A legal distinction on their part.

As posted in BDR, three products completed (successfully) the conformance process - two last week, one this week.  Vendors are asked to wait until receipt of formal notification (written) before making any announcements.

Edward Czarnecki, Ph.D.
Senior Director - Strategy, Development and Regulatory Affairs
Monroe Electronics, Inc. / Digital Alert Systems
ed.czarnecki at monroe-electronics.com

www.monroe-electronics.com
www.digitalalertsystems.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Adrienne Abbott [mailto:nevadaeas at charter.net]

So they're telling us in April that the list that they've been saying allalong was going to be issued in March never existed? Why did they lead us onmonth after month only to find out indirectly that broadcasters will have tolook through what I can only describe as a very arcane website for anequally obscure description of equipment characteristics and assets todecide what to buy?Harold, my sarcasm is not directed at you but at a government agency herewhich hasn't seen fit yet to play it straight with the broadcasters. I thinkI'm feeling a little flim-flam-ed...but congratulations on the success ofyour equipment and thank you for providing a clearer picture of what's goingon and sharing information that I don't we'd have gotten from FEMA. Adrienne"Radio burps, it cries, it needs to be fed all the time, it requiresconstant attention, but we love it." Jim Aaron WGLN -----Original Message-----From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] OnBehalf Of Harold PriceAt 06:14 PM 4/6/2011, Tom Taggart wrote:>Where's the list of who's hot and who's not?As I understand it, FEMA won't be publishing a list, because they don't want to be seen to certify, endorse, or approve any devices. In fact, their FAQ for the CA (https://www.nimssc.org/ipawsconform/faq.asp#number12) says:12. Is this a certification, endorsement and/or approval program?No.The deal is that your device is assessed: is it run through a test suite by a testing lab, in this case, one at SAIC and administered by Eastern Kentucky University for FEMA. They worked pretty hard on this, and the ENDEC went through three times, once as a pilot to shake down the test procedures, once in an early version that included just the protocol and profile rules, and then again for the real test, which added the Implementation Guide rules. Kudos to FEMA, by the way, for halting testing in the fall of 2010 to add all the Implementation Guide rules to the test. It delayed the start of the real testing by a few months, but the test is far better for it.Anyway, the assessment looks for compliance to the rules. If the unit being tested meets all those requirements, you get a positive test report, and are invited to fill out Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), which includes the test report, that you can then post to https://www.rkb.us/ - it is posted by the individual vendor - not FEMA. Don't look yet, I suspect it will take several days to turn the crank, and many of us cranks will be in Vegas for a week.So, will FEMA publish a list of equipment that passed a test? The procedures say they won't, and they have said they won't. You will soon be able to search the RKB looking for EAS/CAP equipment that has the SDOC and test report referenced in the unit's description. You will probably also see it on each vendors web site. And you'll probably see a list in Radio World, and Barry will have one I'm sure. Just not directly from FEMA.As I've said before, and Sage has filed with the FCC, I hope the FCC will require a completed SDOC to also be filed with a device's Part 11 certification, so that specific CAP compliance becomes part of the FCC certification for CAP/EAS devices.BTW, the Conformity Assessment isn't just for EAS devices, it is also for CAP origination systems.Harold,Reporting from the department of long answers to short questions.>_______________________________________________>This is the EAS Forum Discussion List>>Please invite your friends to join our Forum!>http://lists.radiolists.net/mailman/listinfo/eas>>And, remember the main page: http://eas.radiolists.net_______________________________________________This is the EAS Forum Discussion ListPlease invite your friends to join our Forum!http://lists.radiolists.net/mailman/listinfo/easAnd, remember the main page: http://eas.radiolists.net_______________________________________________This is the EAS Forum Discussion ListPlease invite your friends to join our Forum!http://lists.radiolists.net/mailman/listinfo/easAnd, remember the main page: http://eas.radiolists.net