[EAS] Improving Emergency Public Information: Back to Basics

[Richard Rudman]

I needed to post the following comment made today on Barry Mishind's Broadcast Radio News Digest from a well-respected radio programming consultant who lives in the Boston area. Her point is that radio stations need to make sure they actually broadcast vital information to listeners who may have no other way to get that information. Her posting was based on a comment she responded to that many people now have datacards for laptops and might not be as dependent on impairments to home connectivity as might be thought.

Yes, that is all well and good, but for extended power outages like we 
had in Boston, with roads unplowed and nowhere to go to get batteries 
charged, that wasn't an optimal solution.  I made good use of my 
smart-phone, which I was able to charge from my car battery, but again, 
the assumption that everyone has ways to keep connected during a power 
outage isn't always true, and radio stations need to factor that in 
before saying "just go to our website."

I know we have local, state and national emergency management subscribers to this list.  I thought that reminding us all that the Internet, television, cable, and other new age media sources are always going to be more vulnerable to interruptions, slowdowns and outages than basic, old fashioned radio for the foreseeable future -- especially during major emergency conditions -- would be a good idea. 

I hope that this point is brought out and factored into adjustments to public and private emergency public information policies that need to be reviewed after hot washes and after action reports for the current East Coast storm sequence and other recent severe storm sequences are conducted. 

Richard Rudman
Core Member, BWWG
Vice Chair, CA SECC