[EAS] NWS activates EAS at the request of local authorities due to wildfire

[Dave Turnmire]

On 4/22/2022 2:15 PM, Sean Donelan wrote:
> This is a great improvement over the Gatlinberg TN fires, when 
> warnings were requested by never sent by TEMA.  And the NWS only 
> activate weather radio. 
Not necessarily true.  Many of our broadcasters have NWR connected to 
their EAS boxes and that is one of the monitoring assignments under our 
plans for LPs.  So essentially all of our broadcaster's EAS boxes will 
receive such an alert.  Of course, like most alerts, forwarding these is 
voluntary on the broadcaster's part, but in our state that is commonly done.

In any event, I agree it is good news when emergency management make use 
of EAS (directly or via NWR) as well as WEA for getting the word out to 
the public in emergencies.  Each tool has its virtues and for things 
like wild fires, it doesn't seem wise to skimp on the use of the 
available tools

Dave