[EAS] FCC message on EAS Handbook

[Gary Timm]

From: Gary Timm, Broadcast Chair, Wisconsin SECC
Sent on Behalf of FCC EAS Office.

Many of you know that I was the Chair of the CSRIC Task Group that developed the recommended upgraded EAS Operating Handbook.  In that capacity, I have continued my interaction with the Commission on the new Handbook.  In the past, I have offered to relay any messages the FCC might have for the EAS community via these email lists.  Today, they called me to ask that the following information be distributed.

- The FCC is aware that versions of its EAS Operating Handbook have been circulating with altered content beyond merely completing the intended fill-in-the-blank lines and checkboxes.  The Commission asked that EAS Participants be reminded that "the EAS Handbook is the EAS Handbook", and no adding or subtracting of the FCC text is to be done.
- The Commission acknowledges that a more user-friendly version, such as writable PDF is needed, and that certain inaccuracies need to be corrected.  To that end, the FCC is working on an updated version, but cannot say if it will be ready in time for the September 28 Nationwide Test.  So the Commission is saying "Please Standby" while an upgraded version is being created.
- Given that the newest Handbook is to be posted by all EAS Participants by September 28 test day, the FCC asks that EAS Participants utilize the currently-FCC-issued version for now, until it can be replaced by an upgraded version.  The most accurate version is at:
https://www.fcc.gov/pshs/eas/ETRS/EASOperatingHandbook2016.pdf

I, of course, cannot answer questions on behalf of the Commission, so we will all need to just take these statements as given, knowing that an updated Handbook is on the way, but it seems pretty clear that the FCC simply wants only its own version of the EAS Operating Handbook used for now.

Gary Timm