[EAS] Colorado makes the same WEA mistake as Utah - WEA can't target highwway crossings

[Sean Donelan]

Each IPAWS application must be signed-off by an authorized state 
(territory, tribal) official before being accepted by FEMA.  Who those
state inform is up to the state (territory, tribe) official. If the state 
approving official doesn't tell anyone, then no one will find out :-)

Nevertheless, the FEMA IPAWS office does post a list of IPAWS authorized 
alert originators on its web site quarterly.

The reality is in nearly all states, the "State EAS Plan" is not legally 
part of the State Emergency Communication Plan. As far as most states 
are concerned, the FCC created State Emergency Communication Committees 
have no legal existance or authority. Functionally, the State EAS Plan is 
the equivalent of fan fiction in most states.

Only a couple of states have formally incorporated their EAS (IPAWS or 
WEA) plans into their State Emergency Communication Plans and their 
National Incident Managment System (NIMS) documents.  Adding them to the 
NIMS documents is important, because all state & local government agencies 
must comply with NIMS to qualify for federal disaster prepardness funds. 
Money makes a difference. Post disaster assistance funds do not have that 
requirement.

Essentials of Alerts, Warnings, & Notifications
National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC), in 
collaboration with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency 
(CISA)
April 2020
https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CISA%20Essentials%20of%20AWNs_4.27.20%20-%20FINAL%20%28508c%29.pdf

Response to February 2019 National Advisory Council Recommendations on the 
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Subcommittee
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
September 13, 2019
https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1574197727505-64d289d7140621ec745b50fb2af55939/FEMA_Response_to_NAC_IPAWS_Subcommittee_Report_508.pdf

On Tue, 21 Jul 2020, Adrienne Abbott wrote:
> Another wrinkle, Barry and Dave: There's no communication to the
> broadcasters when an agency comes online with CAP. The first indication
> broadcasters have that an agency is now using CAP is when there's an EAS
> activation for a county or an Event Code which stations may not have
> programmed in their equipment. Then the reaction is "Broadcasters don't care
> about EAS", when, in reality, we've been blindsided by IPAWS. Someone should
> have responsibility for making sure that broadcasters know when a new COG is
> created in their area, for making sure that emergency managers are aware
> that not all stations carry every Event Code for every county in their state
> and getting them a copy of the state/local EAS Plan. And no, the SECC is not
> the correct answer.