[EAS] State use of NPT

[Ed Czarnecki]

Dave,

The FCC or FEMA would  be best to speak to second point themselves, but my
various conversations with both entities over the years would indicate that
both organizations believe the NPT to be reserved for use by a national
authority (i.e. FEMA).

The rules are (arguably) fuzzy on this fine point.  Part 11 refers in
several places to "the National Periodic Test (NPT) Event code in the case
of a nationwide test of the EAS."  Which, I suppose, could read that the NPT
code could be uses in cases other than a nationwide test.  For a regional
test?  Or by a non-national authority?

The word "National" in the NPT event code does carry the logical inference
to us (and our users) that this code is reserved for a National authority.  

So, FWIW, NPT is not available to non-national authority in any of our
CAP/EAS origination solutions - it is not available in the state/local
originator DAS-EOC.

NWS lists NPT with EAN and NIC as "national codes," but that does not really
provide an authoritative source (and BTW, someone should remind NWS to
remove EAT from their listed table of operational codes).

I guess we might find out definitively someday if a state somehow issues an
NPT, and then gets spanked for it (... or not).

Edward Czarnecki, PhD 
Senior Director – Strategy  & Global Government Affairs
Monroe Electronics, Inc.
Reston VA | Lyndonville NY
www.digitalalertsystems.com

-----Original Message-----
From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On
Behalf Of Dave Turnmire

As most of you are aware, a number of states have done tests with the NPT
code with the involvement of FEMA.  My state has not.  A few questions come
to mind, since my recollection of Part 11 is it doesn't seem to really
address the non-national use of NPT :