[EAS] Single point entry of CAP messages

[Clay Freinwald]

I think it's important to understand that broadcasters are no long the only 
vehicle for the distribution of public warnings.

There are several reasons for this -

> A significant increase in the number and type of electronic communications 
> gizmo's in use today.
> The fact that to reach the maximum number of people with these messages, 
> you can't just rely on broadcasters.
> Many broadcasters - choose not - to participate in the process, thereby 
> reducing the viability of the medium.
> Not everyone has a broadcast station tuned-in all the time.
> Broadcast radios and TV don't wake anyone up at night
> Out of necessity, public warnings need to be generated in Text to reach 
> these new devices ...
>  etc.

The mission of IPAWS is to have a means whereby any of the sources of public 
warning messages can reach any number of devices and systems
(think - Radio/TV/Cable/Satellite/Cellular/Netbooks/highway signs etc etc)

The CAP provides a method whereby a source of messages can reach all these 
systems at the same time.

TV is the real winner here - TV stations EAS Crawl has been based on the 
Header Codes which tend to be very different than the voice portion of the 
EAS message.  Now the CAP - text - message is what drives the CG and the 
text is -read- by the endec meaning that the voice and crawl info is the 
same.  Something impossible to do with legacy EAS.  Lets face it, legacy EAS 
was designed for Radio.

Here in Washington State we are in the process of connecting the newly 
installed EAS boxes to our own CAP Server. (a process that's been going on 
since last fall)  In our state, an emergency manager, in any county, can 
send a message to all or portions of the state from anywhere.

The bottom line is that CAP is not a replacement for EAS, but rather a means 
of getting the message from the sources to those devices that reach the 
public.
Legacy EAS systems simply are unable to do with CAP will do...PERIOD.

We are living with it (and getting the bugs out) right now.    I've been 
involved with this stuff since Conelrad.....CAP is a wonderful improvement. 
Those that have been critical of CAP and the changes to EAS are doing so out 
of ignorance and lack of experience.    We here in Washington State are well 
underway to putting CAP to work.    Come see for yourself.  Questions are 
invited.

Clay Freinwald
Chairman, Washington State SECC