[EAS] New 2021 EAS Operating Handbook

[Gary Timm]

Issues with the 2021 EAS Operating Handbook have been corrected by the FCC, and it is now ready for download as a writable PDF, meaning you can fill in your facility details before printing it.

As a bonus, the FCC also corrected all references to the EAS Attention Signal from some previous incorrect "8-25 seconds" to now the correct "8 seconds".

I'm presuming these corrections replacing a previously-posted non-writable PDF and the EAS Attention Signal incorrect duration were a direct result of emails from me and others to FCC EAS staff.  So this is at least one example of the FCC expeditiously responding to outreach from its stakeholders.

Gary Timm
WI SECC

On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 5:51:51 PM CDT, Gary Timm <gteas at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

#1) The FCC has issued a new 2021 EAS Operating Handbook.
It must be posted at your facility normal duty positions or EAS equipment locations, per FCC rules.  Download it at:
https://www.fcc.gov/general/eas-test-reporting-system#eas-operating-handbook

#2) After downloading, you must complete check-boxes and fill-in-the-blank procedure lines that apply to your facility before you post the Handbook.  As you do that, you may notice two instances where the EAS Attention Signal is incorrectly described as "8-25 seconds", rather than the correct "8 seconds" it was changed to in 2012.  Unfortunately, in 2012 the FCC changed 11.32(a)(9)(iv) to read "a time period of 8 seconds", but neglected to change 11.31(c) where it still reads today "8-25 seconds".  The previous 2017 version of the EAS Operating Handbook was written by a CSRIC V Working Group, and about 90% of what we wrote still survives in this year's version.  In 2016, we authored the Attention Signal as "8 seconds", but before publishing it the FCC incorrectly "corrected" it to "8-25 seconds".  In this 2021 version, the FCC corrected two occurrences of the "8-25" to "8 seconds", but missed the two others which are still incorrect in the 2021 version.

FYI, in addition to this incorrect "8-25 seconds" still being in current rules, in 2012 the FCC also eliminated most references to the "EAT" Code, but missed one of those that is still in the current rules as well.  After including these and other errors in my filed Comments as well as in-person meetings, it appears as Sean has said in the past that the FCC just is not interested in correcting glaring years-long errors in its rules.

Gar Timm
WI SECC

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