[EAS] Sufolk Co, NY EAS mishap

[Botterell, Arthur@CalOES]

The shortfall is broader than EAS.  As a rule, emergency management and public safety personnel don't get training in public warning generally, neither on the technology nor on the social science about what makes warning messages effective.  As a result, myths and misinformation fester and potential users view public warning as politically scary and best avoided.  And of course post-incident blamefests do nothing to encourage potential warning issuers to try to do better.

We're trying to get a standard of practice articulated in our pending State Warning Plan, which hopefully will give us a basis for a training program.  But resources are, as you point out, scarce.  Even if training is grant-eligible, that just puts it in competition for dollars with things grant recipients would rather do.

Art

Art Botterell
Senior Emergency Services Coordinator
Response Division, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
M: (916) 832-4229
O: (916) 636-3872