[EAS] National Weather Service Message Flooding

[Bill Ruck]

Warning!  Bill is getting up on his soapbox.

The problem today with emergency warning messages is too many 
different agencies have their own system.  In today's terms, they are 
"silos": large vertical structures.  The NWS has their silo; the 
state has its own silo; the county has its own silo; FEMA has its silo; etc.

If we (and the "we" today includes a lot more than broadcasters) are 
truly desiring the best warning system to the public we need to tear 
down those silos and build a new system that meets the needs of the 
public and not the needs of competing agencies.

That system should not be forcing one system to fit another; it 
should be designed from the ground up as a comprehensive logical 
system that gets the message out to the public in the fastest, most 
effective, and most comprehensive manner.  Thus the geopolitical 
boundaries need to correspond to the warning distribution system 
boundaries and both need to correspond to the weather prediction boundaries.

The goal in all cases is to acknowledge "All emergencies are local" 
no matter where the hardware or headquarters is located.  Or where 
the funding comes from.

 From my perspective and experience this will not happen because 
there are too many competing empires and too many sacred 
cows.  If/when I am made Emperor For Life there will be changes.

Bill Ruck
Curmudgeon
San Francisco