[EAS] Time to make the LP daisy chain an option

[Sean Donelan]

On Thu, 5 Sep 2019, Dave Kline wrote:
> No one is required to carry any weather related alerts. (At least 
> according to federal guidelines). State plans may require stations to 
> monitor NWS, but they still cannot require stations to relay anything 
> that isn't an RMT. (NWS has on occasion, originated the statewide RMT in 
> Nebraska.) Those stations that do relay weather related alerts do so out 
> of their own sense of community service. They would most likely air 
> those alerts regardless of state or federal monitoring requirements.
>
> Furthermore, we have determined in this forum and elsewhere that NWS is 
> not, nor should they be apart of the national alerting system. This begs 
> the question:
>
> Why do those states that require NWS as an EAS source do that if we 
> never plan to utilize NWS except at the whim of individual stations (or 
> station groups)?

I get a different impression from reading 45+ state and territory plans, 
and watching how many different local EAS Operational Areas perform around 
the country. They don't all follow what this forum or BWWG decides is a 
best practice.

Many plans still specify that civil authorities FAX alerts, such as Amber 
alerts to the local primary stations.  And some LP stations still 
re-originate NWS weather warnings. Although NWS has nearly 1,000 
transmitters, I give the benefit of a doubt to the SECC/LECC in those 
areas they've decided to use the LP to reach furthur than the NWS 
transmitter.

Lack of new written documentation or national guidance.  Stations started 
using EBS in the 1970s for weather warnings. Most of those stations care 
alot about their local communities, which is why they keep volunteering to 
be LPs (or PEPs, etc). They also have invested in branding as the station 
you tune too for emergency alerts. So they keep doing, what they've been 
doing.

Why do EAS managers or LP stations still complain about NWS sending 
lots of SVR or FFW taking over their airwaves.  They are all optional. 
Stations, incuding LPs, don't need to carry them if they don't want too.