[EAS] Required Periodic Test

[David Turnmire]

Just thought I'd respond to Bill's idea about the RPT. I've been on the 
road a few days and came back to 101 email messages from just this list, 
so forgive me if I missed something relevant that got picked up in one 
of the other message threads I haven't read yet!

o To be clear... I'm assuming the RPT would be a required relay with 
voice. That would be my wish. One related topic... do we still want to 
keep the Attention tone?

o We should still have a clearly designated optional test similar to our 
current "RWT" in that all systems recognize it and no one relays it... and 
for which voice (and attention tone?) is optional. It would be used for 
as-needed point-to-point testing. Maybe a NRT (NonRelayedTest)?

o I'd suggest quarterly national RPTs... and leave the other slots to be 
determined by State/local plans. Otherwise... it gets too close to "one 
size fits all" in that it ASSUMES significant local origination... but in 
some states another scheme may be more appropriate. I can pretty much 
guarantee that in my state letting every local jurisdiction have the 
ability to originate an EAS alert directly would be a problem... and 
giving them the responsibility would just plain be a non-starter. 
Doesn't mean that local emergency management can't get an EAS alert on 
the air... they just have to contact one of a few properly trained 
offices in the state and ask that the alert be originated.

o 72 hours is too short a period... and essentially means reporting every 
couple weeks. To relieve some of the burden, I suggest the following: 1/ 
Online reporting replaces ALL EAS related logging requirements (beyond 
that maintained by EAS boxes themselves)... thus trading one existing 
requirement for another, and 2/ Make the reporting requirement be within 
7 days... similar to how often a chief operator needs to sign-off now.

o I'm fine with CAP becoming the primary means of EAS distribution. But... 
as long as it is principally internet based... we need a backup plan. And 
as long as NWR exists in its current form... and the associated "all 
hazards radios"... it seems to me that it makes sense that for the 
foreseeable future, we use a SAME based system as that backup.

So this RPT concept should accommodate that. Should be easy enough to 
add RPT and NRT to existing SAME systems... not that important if legacy 
all-hazards radios don't recognize them. NWR can always continue to use 
RWT if it is needed for compatibility... since it would only be needed 
when they haven't done another recent event type. Online logging system 
should accommodate noting whether an RPT was received via CAP or legacy EAS

o We still need a national FIP code for general flexibility... as well as 
to distinguish between RPTs from 50 states simultaneously... some of which 
are bound to "leak" within a given state for a variety of reasons. And 
since under this plan they ARE happening all at once... there needs to be 
some thought given to how to handle in the border areas where local 
plans often cover portions of adjacent states, etc

o Someone said RMT/RWT can't be scheduled... huh? RMTs are REQUIRED to be 
scheduled! In fact, that is essentially the only specific requirement 
for the SECC within law. And... they are currently REQUIRED to alternate 
day/night. I for think that is a good idea because different work shifts 
get practice originating them. The EAS box's log will tell you if it 
received it and relayed it. It won't tell you if it actually got on the 
air. If we hadn't just been required to buy a bunch of new EAS hardware, 
I'd be tempted to require the EAS box include an off-air sample port. 
But, I'll settle for having part of the online reporting requirement be 
that you testify that a human HEARD the alert on the air at least once 
per month.

Dave