Emergency Broadcast System

THIS IS NOT A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM, THIS IS A REAL WORKING SYSTEM.

Contact: W. Denis Nurmela
Chief Executive Officer
OneCall-OnCall.com
Canyon Lake, Calif.

Phone: (909) 246-9937                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fax: (909) 244-7507

"This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. If this had been an actual emergency, the Attention Signal you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions. This concludes the test of the Emergency Broadcast System"

   Can you remember hearing this on the radio and on television? It became a joke waiting to see if any official information or instructions would follow the obnoxious alert tones that preceded the message.

   In 1963 John F. Kennedy replaced the CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation) system, our first national alerting system, established by Harry S. Truman in 1951. Since President Kennedy established the EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) 40 years ago, it has never been used only tested.

   Many have considered why the EBS was never used. Even though an FCC order1 adopted November 4th 1994 upgraded the EBS to the new EAS, or Emergency Alert System, it only made minor changes as to how the signal is sent out and deleted the need to hear This is a test..." each time the system is assessed.

   While the new EAS system does include some new geographical directed broadcasts opening up usage of the system to states and local governments, it still does not address the need to communicate to people who are not intently listening to the radio or watching the specific cable or network channels using the EAS.

   Many local cable companies feel that this national pre-emption of programming halts the ability of a station from broadcasting local emergency information. John W. Pestle, in an FCC memorandum2 dated January 13th 1999, explains this problem and describes the decision made by the FCC to not require local cable stations to utilize the new EAS.

   The SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers) addressed many problems to the FCC on April 20th 1998 making the statement, SBE feels that this will be a costly solution that will, if utilized, still result in a sizable EAS public relations disaster."3

   Our world is now inundated with hundreds of cable television channels, digital radio, and CD players. It is an age of personal computers, cell phones and wireless data devices. The problem is not how an emergency alert would be delivered but where it would be delivered." states Denis Nurmela, CEO of OneCall-OnCall, Inc. operators of AlertNotify.com.

   AlertNotify can send alerts to individuals, media, ham radio stations and other electronically addressed devices around the country and around the globe in a few minutes.

   Mr. Nurmela goes on to say, People need to choose for themselves how they would like to be notified in the case of an emergency. I receive text messages on my wristwatch. In seconds, my wife can ask me to pick up milk on my way home. I can also find out that I am the winning bid on an E-bay auction, why cant my government AlertNotify me to take cover, or evacuate my area?"

   Officials are still under the mindset that the media is the only way to contact a large number of people living in the US. "We rely on all of you to get the word out to the public ... because frankly there is no other mechanism other than using the media," said Los Angeles Asst. Police Chief on NBC4, March 20th 2003.
   
   The efforts of the newly formed Homeland Security Agency is doing a wonderful job providing education to the public in the event of an attack or other emergency. Their information website located at www.ready.gov states that we should, Make a Kit, Make a Plan & Be Informed". You can even see what threat level we are currently at on www.dhs.gov. However, without looking can you tell me what threat level we are at right now? Did anyone inform you about the most recent change or did you have to wait until the evening news or the newspaper the next day? How do you plan to be informed in an emergency?

   Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), who has proposed legislation that would direct the Commerce Department to explore new alert systems, was quoted by the LA Times5 May 18th as saying "The emergency warning system is terribly out of date. Public warnings save lives, so we have to make sure effective warnings get to everyone in times of danger."

AlertNotify is also a boon to police, firefighters, and other emergency personnel that need to call in reserve members; to public school districts seeking substitute teachers; to airlines scheduling flight crews; to trucking companies matching drivers to routes, and to temporary personnel firms filling job openings.

AlertNotifys proven commercial applications are finding their way to Capitol Hill. The patent pending process used to dynamically search, qualify, organize and notify from one to a billion people within a few moments may be just the need President Bush discussed6 November 25th, 2002 while signing the Homeland Security Act, ...the department will work with state and local officials to prepare our response to any future terrorist attack that may come. We have found that the first hours and even the first minutes after the attack can be crucial in saving lives..."

    
References:
1.   FCC Order # 94-288: http://www.fcc.gov/eb/eas/FCC-94-288.pdf
2.   FCC memorandum: http://textonly.mrsc.org/Subjects/Telecomm/fcc11399.aspx
3.   SBE Presentation to FCC: sbe.org/eas/fnprm_as.html
4.   NBC 4: http://www.nbc4.tv/southlandsecurity/2054463/detail.html
5.   LA Times Article: Jube Shiver Jr.; The Los Angeles Times; May 18, 2003; pg. A.24
6.   Homeland Security Act: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/11/20021125-6.html