[EAS] Blue Alert reply comments due Tuesday, August 29

[Ed Czarnecki]

T-Mobile and CTIA have a reasonable point on WEA in their Reply Comments.
Use of the general WEA "imminent threat" or "public safety" category makes
sense (at least in conjunction with the expanded WEA message length planned
for future implementation).

The Reply Comments from DOJ COPs were a hard sell on a new BLU event code,
but relying on the somewhat false mantra that LEW is not suitable for blue
alerts purposes because it has been overused and trivialized.  In reality,
LEW has been used very infrequently.  I was hoping to put some real
statistics on the record, but other things took priority.

The Reply Comments from the Blue Alert Foundation (such as they are) -- were
a bit odd, IMHO.  Glib, even.

DOJ COPs (inadvertently) and CTIA (explicitly) both raise the urgent need
for stringent protocols and solid training for alert originators and a new
BLU code.  As DOJ argues, LEW has been trivialized .... but when you think
about it, if LEW had been trivialized, it has been by the very originators
that would now get a BLU code.  Hmmm.

As CTIA argues, training is essential for alert originators.  From a WEA
perspective, this is critical because cell carriers would automatically
forward any "imminent threat," "public safety" or "BLU" alert.  The risk
would be originators spamming wireless users with inappropriate alerts.  

>From an EAS perspective, the risk would be broadcasters opting not to air
any more blue alerts, if misuse happened.

CTIA wants the Commission to ensure that FEMA provides that training.  Of
course the FCC can't order FEMA to do anything of the sort.  And FEMA may do
its best efforts to provide training (or train the trainers, as it were) -
but in retrospect a noticeable gap in the Blue Alerts legislation is any
funding to provide robust ongoing originator training. 

Personally, I support the concept of Blue Alerts.  I just have concerns the
implementation may be less than ideal.

>From: EAS [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Sean Donelan

>Only four organizations submitted reply comments in the Blue Alert NPRM.

>DOJ COPS Office
>Blue Alert Foundation
>T-Mobile
>CTIA