[EAS] Joplin

[Ira Wilner]

I don't totally agree with you on this one Lowell.  Immediately after a disaster strikes the necessary public information can change or at least continue to develop in rapid succession.  Be it a tornado or other emergency situation, the event will continue to unfold.  It could be a call for volunteers, or call for evacuation due to fire or hazmat condition triggered by the initial event.  And we need to consider a worst case scenario where there could be more tornadoes popping up in more storm lines as they advance through the area.  With initial infrastructure crippled, we still need to give the public updates on the crisis.  If it is after hours or if conditions are so bad that broadcast personnel can't get to their facilities to start round the clock live coverage then automatically relayed EAS messages will continue to get the word out.

Remember, the biggest blunder at Fukushima Japan was the lack of worst case scenario insight.  Multiple failures triggered by one event created their worst nightmare.

--Ira

-----Original Message-----
From: "Lowell Kiesow" <lkiesow at kplu.org>
Sent 5/23/2011 9:48:35 PM

The question is >when< the Internet/cell phones went
down.  Obviously, they would have failed during the tornado, after
warning is too late.  Those systems would have been functioning in
advance of the storm when the warning message has value.  Most EAS
alerts are going to be sent in advance of a hazard, not following
it.  If a tornado were to hit my community, I don't need EAS to tell
me what happened after the fact because I can look and see for
myself.  What I do need is for it to warn me in advance.  In the
aftermath of an event, normal press channels can and should work
better than EAS.
At 08:16 AM 5/23/2011, you wrote:
>Devastation in Joplin, MO.  Cell phone network down. Internet
>down.  Broadcasters doing what we always do.  Is it too late to stop
>from jumping off the CAP/IPAWS/CLOUD cliff?
>
>Wayne R Miller, Chairman
>Illinois SECC
>309-678-1297
>
Lowell Kiesow, Chief Engineer
KPLU 88.5, KVIX 89.3, KPLI 90.1
www.kplu.org  www.jazz24.org
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