[EAS] Cancelling Amber alerts

[Adrienne Abbott]

Seriously? After almost 20 years we get Event Code definitions from the
National Weather Service in a document from 2013? 

Seriously? These are the same folks who brought us 97 EAS activations in the
Western Nevada/Eastern California Operational Area back in July. And out of
those only 1 activation involved a life-threatening situation and still NWS
couldn't use the correct Event Code according to their definition because
their equipment couldn't generate an activation with a non-weather Event
Code and in no way did the text of the Legacy activation reflect the actual
message. Talk about confusion and endangering lives...

Seriously? Tell me again why I should seek guidance from NWS for Event Code
definitions when Message Flooding is such a severe issue here that our
audience is so inured to EAS messages that there is no audience credibility
in the system and most people stopped listening to the activations years
ago? 

For the record, I'm all for discussing definitions of Event Codes and there
may be merit in the NWS document but right now I'm not in any mood to accept
NWS as the  experts in these matters, whether the events are weather related
or not. NWS is still pounding Nevada with useless weather warnings while
motorists are trapped on a popular Southern California freeway with
literally no warnings. Facebook has done a better job telling people about
the I-5 mudslides than NWS or EAS. This is a discussion that should include
FEMA with their NIMS training programs and professional groups like IAEM.
Again, we're broadcasters, we're the gateway, not the experts. We serve our
community by providing resources for the experts so they can save lives. If
they use the system incorrectly or overuse the system to the point where
broadcasters and EAS lose credibility, no lives are saved. 

For the record, how many state plans include broadcasters or SECC Chairs
among those authorized to issue EAS activations? Very few, I'm thinking... 

Off my soapbox now and looking for a Friday glass of whine...

Adrienne Abbott
Nevada EAS Chair
NVBA  ABIP  Inspector