Emergency Alerting System (EAS)
NOTE: To view the Required Monthly Test (RMT) schedule ,
go to the Washington State Association of Broadcasters (WSAB) website.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is the primary means for providing the public with critical alert information about an emergency or disaster. This Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - mandated system totally replaced the old Emergency Broadcast System as of January 1, 1998. Under EAS rules, radio, TV, and cable TV stations must participate at the National level or specifically request a waiver from the FCC. Further, they are encouraged to voluntarily participate in state and local EAS plans.
NOTE: You can view and print the EAS 3-fold brochure below: |
Since the FCC rules require participants to monitor other participants as determined by state and local plans, the significance of the state and local plans cannot be taken lightly!
The State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) for EAS has developed and received approval from FCC, the State EAS Plan. This plan divides the state into sixteen local EAS areas for planning purposes. It is anticipated that each of these Local Area Plans will be approved by the SECC in 1997 or early 1998. The National Weather Service (NWS) is also included in the process for using EAS to disseminate critical emergency weather information to the public and government officials.
| Listen to a test of the Emergency Alert System. (Windows Player format) |
The EAS takes advantage of digital technology that will ultimately allow home devices such as AM and FM radios, TVs, or unique receivers to be turned on and an alarm sounded so the listener can hear the message. It will also allow devices serving the hearing and sight impaired to receive the message. The heart of the system is a special encode/decode device sometimes referred to as a "smart box" that all broadcasters had to have in-place as of January 1997. These "smart boxes" through special protocol, talk to each other via multiple radio frequency (RF) paths, which form a web type architecture. As outlined in the State EAS Plan, all "signal originators" will initiate an alert message from one of the "smart box" devices. Through "electronic encoding" of the message, which this device accomplishes, the message is generated and sent. Through "electronic decoding" of the message, the message is received and/or rebroadcast for the areas the alert message is targeted.
WORTH LOOKING ATKing County Office of Emergency Management has a RealVideo EAS Public Service Announcement (PSA) - The spot was produced by King county CTV some time ago. Used by permission of Eric Holdeman, Manager |
Local EOC's will be able to activate their local area plan through a Local Relay Network (LRN) that allows the local broadcast media to receive and disseminate the message if they so choose. The state EOC can activate EAS either statewide or regionally through the State Relay Network (SRN). This network consists of eleven (11) remotely keyed VHF transmitters on mountaintop sites strategically selected to provide the EAS signal that any broadcast station can receive from at least one of the sites. The following map depicts the State Relay Network.
A copy of the state EAS Plan - as well as a "boiler-plate - fill-in-the-blank local plan" was mailed to each local Emergency Management office in the 1998/99 time-frame from this office. Broadcasters obtain their copy of the state plan from the Washington State Association of Broadcasters (WSAB).
You can obtain more information from these sites:
Download Microsoft Media Player 
Download Real Player 
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader 
Download Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer
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