[EAS] Unlearned lessons from past national tests

[Sean Donelan]

Since it looks like there will be another national test later this year, 
reviewing the last 10 years of national EAS (and later WEA) tests, some 
problems have been addressed.  Other problems remain unaddressed.

FEMA also published reports on national test performance, but DHS
re-organized its web sites and I can't find the report links anymore.

Reports On Lessons Learned From The 2011 Nationwide Emergency Alert 
System Test
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-320152A1.pdf

Report on 2017 Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test
https://www.fcc.gov/document/report-2017-nationwide-emergency-alert-system-test

FCC Report on 2018 Nationwide Emergency Alert Test
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-report-2018-nationwide-emergency-alert-test

FCC Report on 2019 Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-report-2019-nationwide-emergency-alert-test

Unlearned lessons:

1. The Commission should consider commencing a proceeding to examine 
equipment performance issues during activation of an EAN and to seek 
comment on proposed changes, if any, to the EAS equipment rules to ensure 
that all EAS equipment operates in a mutually consistent fashion.

   a. "000000" All-US FIPS code implemented
   b. How to process overlapping and corrupt EAS message headers
   c. Poor audio quality, audio levels not set correctly on infrequently 
tested distribution channels

2. Prior to and during the test, both the Bureau and FEMA found that many 
EAS Participants had many questions about the operation of their EAS 
equipment and their conduct during the test.

    a. Lack of national concept of operations

3. PSHSB recommends that the Commission consider requesting the EOP to 
reconvene the Federal EAS Test Working Group to address issues raised in 
the first test and to plan the next nationwide EAS test. As noted above, 
the working group, consisting of FCC, FEMA, NOAA and other federal 
agencies, regularly coordinated every facet of the first nationwide test. 
In addition, EOP oversight ensured accountability throughout the process 
leading up to the test. The Bureau believes this model should be followed 
for future tests.

Ignoring problems and hoping they go away doesn't work.