[EAS] FCC BLU Alert Proposal

[Clay Freinwald]

Art wrote - 

All very true, Sean.  At the same time, I think we need to remember that
state and local use of EAS was ever only an afterthought, mostly a reaction
to the historic tornado outbreak of April, 1974, primarily added to support
NWS.  EAS was never, and is not today, designed primarily for local
alerting.  At FEMA EAS is managed within the National Continuity Program,
whose responsibility is for continuity of federal government.

Because it was available for free, EAS took most of the air out of the room
for states and localities that might have developed more optimal
capabilities in the years since then.  It was much less expensive to recruit
broadcast industry (mostly) volunteers to try to make EAS work for localized
alerts, notwithstanding the inherent mismatch between broadcast signal
coverage and the sorts of hazards state and local agencies generally deal
with.  (Even NWS to this day has to fight a continual rear-guard action
against a threatened broadcasters' revolt over perceived "message flooding,"
which is a direct consequence of the blunt-instrument technology of EAS.)

A couple of thoughts - 

1- The rather complete lack of structure and leadership from the Feds left
the states to fend for themselves.   The results are here for all to see - A
patchwork of functional and dysfunctional systems.    

2- We still have those that are awaiting the arrival of the federal white
horse with money bags of money mounted by a person ready to take the reins
in that state until the system is humming along (all at the expense of the
Feds of course) 

3-  Geo-targeting is a wonderful thing.   But (as I like to say) there are
many tools in the public warning tool box and not all tools work well in all
applications.    Looking it another way...You can fish using an expensive
lure or use Dynamite.    

4- One of the biggest problem is lack of training on how and when to use the
tools.    All to this the myriad of vendors of super-software solutions that
have created a whole new herd of wide-eyed people who are still trying to
find their way forward with no funding.

My Short list

Clay