[EAS] Sandy & CAP

[Dave Kline]

If the local EM's only know nothing or little about EAS, then they are kind of stuck with what the media will provide, be it good or bad.
It is all that they know they have and that's what they will use during times of crisis.

A couple of years ago I contacted my local EM office and spoke with the EM himself.
He was fairly new to the job here. I had asked him how much he knew about EAS.
He told me that he knew little about it but had been wondering how it might be useful to him.
I offered to fill him in on what EAS was about from the broadcasters perspective and gave him my contact info.
He told me that he had quite a few things on his plate right now but that he would be in touch.
He did get back to me and invited me to a table top exercise being put on for a group of county EM's
During the exercise, EM's were asked the question:

"What things about your job keep you awake at night?"

Properly notifying the public of occurring or pending disaster was one of those "keeps me awake" items.

In the last two years since and with input from broadcasters, our NWS local office, cable operators, the state EOC office, 911 centers, other county EM's and our state SECC chair, our LECC was formed and we have a local plan about to be submitted for approval.

As we went through the midwest floods of last summer our EM knew who to contact to ask stations to add a couple of EAS alerts to their systems.
It was informal, but at least he had that much at his disposal if needed.

This did not start because of my phone call. Our EM already had EAS in the back of his mind.
But perhaps it let him know that he was not alone in thinking how EAS could work for him.
There were three or four other engineers involved in this with me. We were simply one of many resources he eventually tapped to put together our local plan.
Those of you, especially those affected by Sandy, have an opportunity after things settle down in your area to make that call to your local EM. Let them know that if they have an interest in EAS that you would be willing to answer some of their questions.

Dave
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Dave Kline   UNO-TV / KVNO
University of Nebraska at Omaha
6001 Dodge St. Omaha, NE  68182  CPACS 200