[EAS] Guam: accidential Civil Danger Warning broadcast

[Sean Donelan]

Accidents happen.  Disasters happen.

Whether the EAS is activated by broadcastors or government officials, 
there will be occasional accidental activations.  Not testing is not a 
real solution. Washington State has had accidental activations by 
government officials, as well as testing failures. FEMA has had 
accidental activations, as well as testing failures. Broadcast DJs 
have sent EANs during comedy bits. Hackers have sent zombie alerts.
Systems (including the people operating the system) which don't do regular 
testing rarely work during actual emergencies.

We should learn from every accident and every disaster. While we may try 
to minimize mistakes, its a mistake not to expect mistakes. Nothing is 
perfect.

In 2015, the Northern Mariana Islands was almost completely isolated for 
several days when an undersea cable was cut between Saipan and Tinian. 
No telephones, internet, banking, etc. for several days. It took over 24 
hours before officials were able to reach the US mainland and contact the 
FCC.

In 2009, tsunami warnings were tranmitted by EAS stations on American 
Samoa. The local primary station did not wait for territorial officials. 
The station manager says he activated the EAS for a tsunami when he saw 
the water rising in the Pago harbor outside the station. The after-action 
report found there was some confusion about alerts from the NOAA Pacific 
Tsunami Warning Center.