[EAS] Who and when should 000000 be used?

[Harold Price]

Group,

CSRIC V working group three (the EAS handbook committee) had several 
recommendations and deliverables.  These can be found in the full report here:

https://transition.fcc.gov/bureaus/pshs/advisory/csric5/WG3_Report_Operating-Handbook_062216.pdf

The quoted sections below are from that document.

The working group developed four deliverables:
(1) An Updated EAS Operating Handbook
(2) Instructions for completing the customizable sections in the new 
Handbook (3) An outline for the suggested content of an EAS Participant Guide
(4) A list of EAS rules identified as needing update, which concern 
Handbook topics

In the report, the working group notes that the handbook be kept to 
just the information needed by the operator, and that the handbook be 
customizable "...employing the use of checkboxes and 
fill-in-the-blank operational steps for each EAS Participant facility 
to customize the Handbook to describe its particular implementation 
of EAS alerting."

"As a final criterion, we concluded that the EAS Operating Handbook 
should be written to the operator on duty to give that person the 
information needed to handle the FCC-required EAS alerts. To maintain 
this focus, we eliminated any superfluous details that are not needed 
by the operator on duty to relay or originate the alerts required in 
the EAS rules. This resulted in a very clean and straightforward 
updated Handbook. We strongly recommend that no other content be 
added to the Handbook"

The working group also provided a set of instructions for filling in 
the blanks on the handbook.  The FCC merged some of that into the 
released version of the handbook.

The working group realized that there was much background information 
needed to develop EAS procedures at the EAS Participant level.  They 
suggested that a separate document be developed to address those 
issues, but that it not clutter the operator handbook itself.

"Acknowledging that the EAS Operating Handbook is specifically 
written to the operator on duty to determine the steps necessary to 
relay or originate the alerts required in the EAS rules, our Project 
Team felt that an additional document aimed at the designated 
individual responsible for EAS operations and compliance at each EAS 
Participant facility may be of benefit for the Commission to 
highlight EAS details needed by this EAS responsible individual but 
not needed by the operator on duty in the EAS Operating Handbook. We 
suggest the title EAS Participant Guide, and in this report present 
in outline form a list of the proposed topics for this Guide"

That outline, provided Appendix C of the CSRIC report, includes many 
of the issues that have come up on this forum.

Finally, the working group noted the need for clarification of the 
rules on several issues, such as when and by who the 000000 code 
would be used (see page D-2).

Just as this pre-planned NPT is a shakedown of the new rules for 
using the NPT code, ETRS, and national CAP distribution, it is also a 
shakedown of the handbook.  I'm sure the FCC will welcome comments on 
the subject.

Harold