[EAS] EAS TESTS

[Gary Timm]

Great to hear from the Puerto Rico SECC.

You said "required", so it sounds you are asking if its in the FCC EAS rules.
No, state government agencies that originate EAS alerts are not "required" to conduct weekly and monthly tests.

The FCC rules say EAS Participant broadcasters and cable operators must send a weekly RWT, and the FCC rules say each SECC must set a schedule for monthly RMT tests.  The rules don't say who is required to send the RMT, that is up to your SECC to determine and put into your State EAS Plan.

As for alert origination agencies sending RWTs, in Wisconsin, I highly encourage my IPAWS counties to send a monthly RWT test.  It has been a challenge to convince them to set aside the time to do this, but I'm having some luck lately.  It is a good opportunity for them to get practice using their IPAWS software and likewise a good opportunity for EAS Participants to see these tests on their EAS Logs and realize that these counties have IPAWS alerting capability lest they be surprised by a real IPAWS alert.

So although government agencies that originate EAS alerts are not "required" to send tests, I'd highly encourage them to do so.

Gary Timm, Broadcast Chair
WI SECC
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On Wed, 1/16/19,  <agp at wpabradio.com> wrote:

 
 Question: Are state government agencies that originate EAS alerts required to conduct weekly and monthly tests??
 
 Alfonso Gimenez-Porrata
 Acting Chair, PR SECC