[EAS] SoCal Alerts Missed 54% Of Target Calls During [Sonoma County] Wild...

[Botterell, Arthur@CalOES]

One aspect of EAS that's particularly problematic for locals is the two-minute limitation.  One hardly dares to say "tune to local media" in a WEA message, for fear that listeners will miss that brief two-minute "hit" and become confused.

Where we've really seen radio shine is when stations go wall-to-wall for an extended period, so we can rely on something relevant being there when folks tune in.  Obvious that's an individual station's choice, and not all stations are in a position to do that, unless they elect to simulcast another other station in a joint effort.  It's not uncommon for multiple stations to pool their staff, working out of a temporary studio at or near an EOC or other command center.

Not sure how to integrate that sort of response with EAS, or if it's even possible to do so... but I've seen it be a powerful element of public service from the Virgin Islands to California and from North Dakota to New Orleans.

Art