[EAS] Oroville Dam Evacuation...oh that was close

[Alan Alsobrook]

On 2/15/2017 8:14 AM, Mike McCarthy wrote:
> Let's not confuse physical utilities with EAS. The physical EAS as
> described in Part 11 is an alert format and protocol which relies on voice
> grade audio channels.

Just to clarify, The point I was making is that WEA, and social media, 
and other methods relying on wireless and internet would _NOT_ have been 
able to deliver an alert message to the affected area. The _only_ public 
warning system still standing was EAS. Of course we didn't need EAS to 
tell us a hurricane was coming that was well known, but had there been 
an additional emergency or action required.. TOR ect EAS through its 
analog distribution system was the only alerting option still operational.

In 2004 during a hurricane, yes in the storm! we received and relayed a 
CAE (I think it was actually still issued as a CEM at the time) amongst 
4 or 5 TOR's. A listener spotted the suspect vehicle and the child was 
recovered in less than an hour. Not to mention the call we received 
later from another listener that told us that they heard the TOR and 
took cover about a minute before the tornado hit. The point here is even 
though we needed no warning about the hurricane, we still needed a 
warning delivery system.

> In so far as the FFW creating an EAS message, it would have followed the
> SAME format for the circle of those monitoring the NWR. But that was for a
> FFW exclusively. The larger evacuation order would not have been triggered
> by the FFW, nor by the NWS which doesn't posses the authority to generate,
> nor relay such messages...at this time. It's one of the silo's Clay
> constantly mentions as needing bridges.

Yes, I agree an EVI should have been issued. One of the silly factors 
involved in not sending it is that it appears to have been needed for 
several jurisdictions. EM in county A won't issue a Warning for County 
B. So at that point it might be up to the state to issue an alert for 
the whole thing, which would likely upset the EM in both County A and B. 
Or option 2, they just forgot EAS cause the other toys were newer.
PS I've worked in EM, I've seen how it works or doesn't as the case may be.

Still even though it may not have been distributed widely, the FFW 
likely got the attention of many of the broadcast facilities and got 
them into full coverage mode much sooner than had they waited for 
notification through normal channels. Lets face it there aren't any home 
EAS receivers, so the public has to be listening or watching. But every 
broadcast facility is supposed to receive EAS alerts. In that way it 
still likely assisted in notification of the emergency. Yes I know there 
will always be those stations were no one was home and took no action 
what so ever.

-- 
Alan Alsobrook CSRE AMD
aalso at bellsouth.net