Federal Communications Commission Initiates Comprehensive Assessment of Nationwide Alert Systems
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a ground-breaking overhaul of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to modernize and improve the nation's alerting infrastructure. These systems, which have been in place for 31 years (EAS) and 13 years (WEA), are due for an update to better serve the public in the digital and mobile communications era.
The FCC's proposed plan involves a thorough re-examination of the systems, with key aspects aimed at improving efficiency, resilience, and public safety outcomes. These improvements include:
- Reevaluating the objectives: The FCC aims to focus on achieving specific public safety outcomes, rather than just capabilities.
- Expanding alert entities: The FCC will consider allowing non-government entities to send alerts, while preserving the President's ability to issue alerts during national emergencies.
- Enhancing transmission capabilities: The FCC plans to improve geographic targeting, security, and system resilience to better serve diverse emergency scenarios.
- Updating alert technologies: The FCC intends to leverage the latest advances to reach the public through modern platforms, such as video alerts and mobile devices.
- Addressing recent challenges: The FCC will respond to emergency challenges, like severe weather events, to improve alert timeliness and effectiveness.
The FCC is seeking public comment on these goals, current system shortcomings, potential structural reforms, and the inclusion of additional alerting objectives and technologies. Comments are due 30 days after the notice of proposed rulemaking’s (NPRM) publication, with reply comments due 45 days after.
Commissioner Anna Gomez, a vocal advocate for improved alert systems, praised the FCC's efforts and emphasized the need for multilingual alert templates. She also expressed concern over unfounded political attacks against public stations and thanked Chairman Ajit Pai for including a provision in the item that recognizes multilingual communications.
In a notable example, Commissioner Gomez praised 89.7 KUCB(FM) in Alaska for noticing an error in evacuation orders. She also highlighted the risk journalists at Hawaii Public Radio took to broadcast during the threat of a tsunami.
The FCC's proposed plan also addresses the need for a more diverse range of information and distribution methods to convey information to the public through EAS and WEA. In regions like Hawaii, where Tagalog ranks second in households, the FCC will examine the types of information and distribution methods needed to better serve these communities.
The FCC's ongoing deregulation efforts include the approval of a direct final rule to remove 98 "obsolete" rules and requirements. The commission will also consider whether a redesign or targeted changes would allow the systems to reach their potential if they are not meeting the needs of the public and alerting authorities.
As the FCC moves forward with this comprehensive review, it is crucial for the public to participate in the comment process to ensure that the nation's alerting infrastructure keeps pace with current communication technologies and public safety requirements.
The FCC's proposed plan includes a focus on updating alert technologies to reach the public through modern platforms such as video alerts and mobile devices, incorporating the latest advances in technology. In order to enhance the systems' resilience, the FCC intends to revamp radio broadcasting strategies as part of the overhaul of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA).
