US emergency alert system successfully tested

A successful nationwide test has been conducted on the US Emergency Alert System (EAS).

The test, which was carried out by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission and the National Weather Service (NWS), was designed to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the system.

Initial test data indicates that the vast majority of EAS participants successfully received and retransmitted the national periodic test (NPT) code that was used for the test.

Improvements have been made to the EAS using the lessons learned from a 2011 nationwide test, and the implementation of EAS test reporting system (ETRS) appears to have significantly increased test performance.

At the direction of the commission, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau launched the ETRS, an electronic filing system and related database, in June 2016. Participants submitted ‘day of test’ results that indicated whether they successfully received and retransmitted the test alert. They also submitted detailed analyses in the weeks following the test that specified how they received the alert and identified any complications they experienced during the test.

During the test it was observed that:

• over 21,000 radio stations, broadcast television stations, cable systems, satellite services and other EAS participants in all 50 states and the US territories participated in the nationwide test. This is a 26% increase in participation from the 2011 nationwide test (16,731 forms filed in 2011);
• 94% of test participants successfully received the test alert. This a 12% improvement in success rate over 2011 nationwide test (82% received in 2011);
• 85% of test participants successfully retransmitted the test alert;
• 69% of test participants reported no complications in receiving or retransmitting the test alert;
• many EAS participants reported that the test alert they received featured the high-quality audio from the CAP-based alert that FEMA distributed via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS);
• for the first time, 74 EAS participants retransmitted the IPAWS-generated Spanish language version of the alert;
• reports from the PSSC proved effective for collecting feedback and should continue to be used for future EAS tests.

However, some participants experienced poor quality audio and were not able to deliver the Spanish language alert because they received the test from an over-the-air broadcast source before their EAS equipment performed its regular check of the IPAWS Internet feed (which typically occurs every 30 seconds).

Requiring that EAS participants check the internet-based IPAWS feed upon receiving a broadcast alert, and transmit the corresponding CAP alert, if available, would ensure that the most timely and content-rich version of the alert is broadcast. This would be particularly important for time-sensitive alerts where seconds matter, like earthquake early warnings.

The CAP alert would contain a crystal-clear digital audio file as well as any available text or audio files in languages other than English.

Some people with disabilities reported difficulty receiving or understanding alert text or audio, while others did not receive the alert because they did not properly configure or maintain their equipment. EAS tests can be made more accessible by applying the accessibility rules that already apply to live alerts.

In addition, some plans were difficult for EAS participants to locate, while others presented monitoring obligations and other information in a manner that EAS participants found difficult to implement.

The test was conducted in an environment that posed a low threat for cyber attacks.

Image courtesy of FCC.

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