[EAS] Mountain Lion Alert

[Sean Donelan]

On Thu, 15 Jun 2017, Botterell, Arthur at CalOES wrote:
> Anyway, I'm not sure that NWS is widely seen as the governing agency 
> for EAS.

Of the three federal agencies jointly responsible, FCC, FEMA and NOAA; FCC 
and FEMA tend to avoid giving any guidance to state and local users of 
EAS and WEA. The FEMA IPAWS training module is the minimum required by 
statute to use WEA.  EAS requires no training of emergency managers to 
use.

That has left the National Weather Service with the most extensive 
guidance available on both weather and non-weather emergency messages for 
EAS and WEA.  But you are correct, most people aren't aware of the 
NOAA/NWS guidance.

Using the LEW code is less important than understanding the system, and 
knowing how to effectively use it.  EAS could use numeric codes 001, 002, 
003 instead of three-letter codes; but if emergency managers don't have 
training in public warning systems it doesn't help.  The ATIS workgroup 
revising the WEA standards isn't going to fix that.

However, I would be interested to understand why the first Mountain Lion 
Alert message at 3:30pm used LEA and the second Mountain Lion Alert at 
11:42pm MDT used LEW.  Did LPD have a problem with the system, or thought 
using a different code made a difference?

It would also be interesting to hear how many local broadcasters carried 
either mountain lion EAS alert on the air.  And the reasons why.  Their 
EAS equipment was not configured for either LEW or LAE or manual?

EAS and WEA still gets people's attention. Hundreds of people showed up in 
a park looking for a mountain lion.  In once sense, it shows EAS and WEA
works, just maybe works too well.