[EAS] Blue Alerts Are Back

[Rod Zeigler]

Last fall I and others were asked to testify at a legislative hearing 
regarding Silver Alerts. The far majority of those of us testifying were 
against the use of EAS for those for a number of reasons, not the least 
of which was the stage of infancy that our state alert origination is 
currently in. I brought up Blue Alerts in that hearing as another 
possible EAS alert that we would be hearing more about. The consensus of 
those of us in the alerting "business" was that a proliferation of Color 
Alerts via EAS would eventually be a turn off to those we are trying to 
alert. We suggested that Silver Alert could be used, not as part of EAS, 
but rather as a news alert category for broadcasters in the area of the 
event.
While I am not against the concept of Blue Alerts (I am the father of 3 
LEO's and father-in-law of another) I do not believe that EAS is 
necessarily the best vehicle for their dissemination.

I see this as another One Size Fits All solution from the FCC. Every 
alert originator is in a different stage of alert capabilities and 
responsibilities. Advertise Blue Alerts as an attention phrase in the 
media, such as we suggested for Silver Alerts. Someday when 
geo-targeting is a sound and proven technique and alert originators have 
some experience in sending coherent alerts to the targeted areas, this 
may be revisited. Until then I don't think the entire EAS universe is 
quite ready for another AMBER type alert.

Rod Zeigler,
Nebraska SECC Chairman
Exec. Dir. Nat'l. Emerg. Bdcst. Assn.

-- 
R. V. Zeigler, Dir. of Eng.
Nebraska Rural Radio Assn.
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