[EAS] GAO Report: Agencies Need to Address Pending Applications and Monitor Industry Progress on System Improvements

[Sean Donelan]

https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-20-294
EMERGENCY ALERTING:
Agencies Need to Address Pending Applications and Monitor Industry 
Progress on System Improvements
GAO-20-294: Published: Feb 6, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 6, 2020.

GAO reccomendations:
We are making a total of three recommendations, including one to FCC
and two to FEMA. Specifically:

The Chairman of FCC should develop specific, measurable goals and
performance measures for its efforts to monitor the performance of new
WEA capabilities, such as enhanced geo-targeting and expanded alert
message length. (Recommendation 1)

The Director of the IPAWS program should document how it plans to
address key actions needed to educate alerting authorities in their use of
IPAWS and implement a mechanism that will allow FEMA to regularly and
systematically obtain and analyze feedback on alerting authorities'
educational needs. (Recommendation 2)

The Director of the IPAWS program should establish procedures to
prioritize pending IPAWS applications and to follow up with applicants to
address these applications. (Recommendation 3)