[EAS] WEA used in NYC bombings

[John Willkie]

All;

Yes, I probably should label my sarcasm.  I'm in San Diego, but I tend to gravitate my attention towards news and bombings get my attention.  I noticed very quickly in the NYC situation that Al Qaeda nor DAESH bombing tradecraft seemed to be involved; only one bomb went off.  I only have "outside knowledge" here, but I did learn where not to buy Fried Chicken the next time I visit the land of jug-handled turns.

I agree that using a promo list for sending out alerts to radio listeners would be a violation of trust.  Imagine the creation of a "Rock 103.1 Emergency Alerts."  If done right and consistently, this could build trust and even super-serve listeners.  "Rock 103.1 always keeps me safe."

Although I might rue the limitations of Mjr. Armstrong's radio systems, I note that HD Radio involves the transmission of MPEG-2 transport streams.  I can identify at least three mechanisms in MPEG-2 TS to transmit pictures and/or URLs: MPEG-2 Metadata_Sections, URLs via DSM-CC and even plain text (properly encapsulated) and SCTE-18.  Sending out is one thing; displaying photos or presenting clickable URLs in a device is another.  While we're at it, isn't it time for HD radio stations with a talk format to present closed captions?

Better yet, have a way that the phone can spend very little energy monitoring the station and turn on in a flash when there is an alert.  This capability will be available in ATSC 3.0; a few bits in a header that can be processed without full demodulation will provide future TVs with the ability to be set to turn on in the case of an alert.  TV also has the ability to show pictures, and 3.0 will handle URLs natively. 

1949 has come and gone.  Were I asked to come up with a way to permit radio stations to present fast-moving items like the photo in the NYC case, I'd focus on implementing WebSockets (RFC 6455.)  This is a google-developed technology that permits updating web pages without the user refreshing.  You can see it in Gmail when a new message comes in and the message appears and your totals are updated.  Imagine having a place near the top of your web page that normally presents a 1px x 1px transparent image.  When there is an emergency, someone "operating" the station assembles the message and photo, hits click and automagically, all web site see the message with screaming headlines.  Then, you promo listeners to the web site and hope you have the capacity.  When no longer relevant, another click and you are showing a transparent pixel.

Bill Ruck mentioned earthquakes.  Having felt more than a few, and even building-surfed during one in 1978, I have never seen that to be a realistic use of EAS.  The upside of earthquakes is that you immediately know if you survived.  Sending out an EAS message minutes or hours after the fact telling people -- in an extreme case -- trying to stay alive under the rubble that there was an earthquake is likely to p**s somebody off.   

But going forward, we are approaching the era when scientists will be able to predict earthquakes perhaps as little as 30 seconds-5minutes in advance.  Follow the workflow.  Scientists report the probable earthquake to civil authorities, with no solid idea about when it will hit other than "soon."  Authorities, regardless of the hour, formulate a message and hit send.  With WEA or EAS, how much in advance of the temblor will viewers, listeners and phonies know?  Will they panic, or make concrete actions to minimize harm to them.  Running outside is a good idea.  What if you are in a high-rise (which seldom collapse in quakes) and you and your neighbors, while waiting for the elevator or running down the stairs, learn the practicalities of von Neumann's "queuing theory?"  Assuming that panic doesn't ensue, will lives be saved?

After the recent WEA alert in NYC, at least one news source put out an article that phone users that received the message "didn't feel safer."  Neil Postman really needs to update "Laughing Ourselves To Death."  Who would think that an alert about a wanted terror suspect was on the loose could possibly cause people to feel safer (as opposed to the guy being in custody.)

I mentioned that I hadn't received a message on my cell phone about WEA in a while.  I guess there might be lurkers here who work for BoostMobile.  The next morning, while driving, my phone pealed.  I was worried that the battery might be exploding or something.  (I was driving home with a new power supply for a computer, as one died and made sounds like firecrackers the previous night.)  It came with a text message announcing "Required Monthly Test" of the Commercial Mobile Alert System, which I take is WEA.  "Required Monthly" is funny; I've had this phone since early April, and this is the second test message.  The other was June 15 at 10:00 a.m.  But, at least they know I received both!

I also note -- as reported several places in the wake of the NYC WEA alert -- that a phone user can turn off WEA Amber Alerts and non-presidential messages.  So, I can look forward to another pealing from my phone in the near future.

I might rant, but not without thinking about possible solutions.

Best;

John

John Willkie