[EAS] The 2017 EAS Handbook for LP-1's

[Adrienne Abbott]

Sean wrote:
The FCC EAS Handbook is a useless artifact that could be sealed in a plastic
envelope and hung by the EAS equipment because the only person that will use
it is the FCC field inspector.

CSRIC could have created a useful EAS Handbook containing guidance for
people responsible for EAS at stations, and better using the expertise and
historical knowledge of the CSRIC participants. But it created a document
for the wrong audience and answered the wrong question.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
Actually Sean, the CSRIC WG-3 Handbook Committee was very focused on our
assigned tasks from the FCC. We even had an FCC representative drop in on
some of our calls and when we weren't sure if something we were debating fit
the FCC criteria for our assignment, we sought out a response before
proceeding.

Early on it was obvious, given the differences in EAS participants and their
level of participation, staffing, operation level, type of EAS technology,
state of the State EAS Plans and the varying level of involvement of the
SECC's from state to state, that there was no standardization for any EAS
activations other than the National or Presidential level tests and
activations. And even with those events, there were and still are some areas
where standardization is lacking.

Rather than create a Handbook which might, just might, possibly cover every
contingency in every EAS Operational Area for every EAS participant at every
level of EAS participation, resulting in a manual big enough to double as a
fall-out shelter for the EAS Control Point and anyone in it, we chose to
produce something that EAS participants could customize for their own
operation. Producing that customized Handbook would also have the side
benefit of ensuring that someone at the radio/TV station-cable headend-IPTV
control-satellite center-etc.-would, at some point, have to get involved
with EAS and the rules and regulations. We even produced a guide to walk
those responsible for the Handbook, including less-than-technical staff,
through the EAS process. The fact that this supporting document has been
lost to the mists of the old EAS web site (visualize the closing scene of
Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a matter which should be brought to the
attentions of the PSHSB.   

Adrienne Abbott
WG-3 Handbook Committee Class of 2016
Nevada EAS Chair