[BC] NOAA & EAS; was EAS in Senate

Mon Nov 7 10:17:17 CST 2005

Ernie,

I found your comments about NWR radio and EAS interesting in light of my
own experiences concerning NWR radio and EAS.  I worked in a market
(Cape Cod MA) where NWR is one of the two regional LP1's.  No kidding -
we were mandated by the MA state EAS plan to monitor these two sources:
a cape based FM station, and, the Cape NWR station.  I could write a
book about the problems we had with the NWR sourced RWTs and other
activations.  This is a guess on my part, but from my perspective, NOAA
employees lacked the motivation to conduct routine EAS tests perhaps
because they lack what motivates all of us to run EAS tests:  fear of
the FCC, shutdown, fines, loss of job.  Your lack of funding point does
perhaps explain some of the many problems that NWR (as one of our LP1's)
gave us.  Someone needs to really talk with people stuck in various
parts of the country where NWR is one of the LP1s before we expand the
role of NOAA in EAS.  That's where you'll get a realistic picture of
what it may mean to have NOAA play a more pivotal role in EAS.  Ernie, I
appreciated your defense of NOAA very much - it was eye opening.  I just
hope the NOAA corporate culture is changing, or perhaps the one NWR site
I had to call in MA (every other week or more) was a bad egg.  I
appreciate your words, and I appreciate the fact that many people in
NOAA really do want to do the right and best thing, but do those good
intentions permeate all the way down to each NWR location and each
employee?  Based on my experiences (admittedly not universal), I
seriously doubt it.  Some AM & FM engineers have a real passion for
making EAS work great.  Other AM & FM engineers despise the system and
disparage it every chance they get.  Both types run the EAS tests
religiously, and both groups are motivated by the same factor:  the FCC
and fear of loss of job.  Will NOAA be as committed as we are without
this motivational fear?  I hope so, but I have my doubts.  Great idea,
great intentions - but how will it really work?

David Morais
-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Ernie Belanger
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 4:55 PM
To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List
Subject: Re: [BC] EAS in Senate

Answers within the body of Jerry's comments; It is a long response
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Mathis" <thebeaver32 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BC] EAS in Senate

> They re talking about using NOAA weather radio as the main link, if I
read 
> it correctly. NOAA weather radio only uses one language: English.
There 
> are no second channels, no SCA's, etc.

Already baout 85% of the EAS alerts are originated by the NWR's Weather 
radio/all hazard net.
At this time you are correct regarding the current capability. However, 
there are things in the development
stages which will give NWR All Hazards network greater capability.  Some
of 
the money allocated to
this new network will pay for the R&D and bringing these to fruition.
>
> This just further proves that Congressmen are bloomin' idiots.  I'll 
> concede (maybe) that they had good intentions, but you can't spell out

> technical details by political fiat. It's idiotic.

Not really Jerry. NOAA Weather Radio has had an ALL Hazard obligation
since
the Clinton days. They have been doing the best they could with
virtually no 
additional
funding from Congress. In fact they have had funding cut every year for
the 
past 10 years
that I have been tracking it. Last year they had to shift money from
other 
programs just to
cover  operational  and maintenance cost.

The folks in the Program Office in Silver Springs are trying to develop
new 
ways of alerting,
multi language feeds, special data for the deaf to on a scrolling screen

etc.. with noadditional funding.

They tried to get $5 million two years ago to provide direct interfaces
with 
the Weather forecast offices and every local emergency management
command 
center in the country to speed the emergency messages... Senate cut the 
money from
NOAA Budget. Because they wanted Homeland Security the FCC and NOAA to
sit 
down and figure out
who was on first.

This legistlation in essence it will give NWR's program office the money

and the ligitimacy.it needs to bring the
network up to current technical standards. This  includes satellite fed
VS 
phone fed, program audio, direct interface to
emergency managers and other capability it is sorely lacking.I know the 
folks who have been working on getting this legislation together for the

past few years they have one goal... saving lives.

Like broadcasters with EAS though  NWR has had an ever expanding mandate
but 
was never given the
money to properly carry it out.

The Network has been  treated as a bastard step child by Congress
because it 
is part of NOAA.

This is the same NOAA that  Gingrich's, in his day wanted shut down or 
privatized and most
Senators and Congressmen from the RED states still  don't understand or 
appreiciate what it does.

 I;ve visited with senior staffers in several Senator's and
Congressman's 
offices who didn't even
know the network existed let alone that it is one of the major
initiators of 
EAS alerts and warnings.
(That is until a friggin car ends up in a movie theatre because of a
tornado 
and a few hundred folks could have been
killed EXCEPT for the warning given by NWR directly and via EAS which
saved 
their lives)

You forget that Federal employees are prohibited by law from lobbying 
Congress. So unless someone
else does it, a program as valuable as this can be starved out of
existance.

> How many billions will be wasted on this when it's said and done?

A public alerting system is not a waste Jerry, nor is saving lives. 
Virtually Every Day  the NOAA network
saves lives. Granted Broadcasters are pissed because of false alerts, 
especially when the EAS was new.

But,What you have at NOAA HQ and the regional offices are some of the
most 
resourceful folks I've ever met. Truly they work wonders with nothing or

nearly nothing. They have one focus, saving lives.

 Instead of being their advisary Broadcasters should pick up the phone
to 
rhe NOAA Regional offices talk to the regional NOAA Weather Radio folks
and 
the National Folks in Silver Springs and see how you can help.

I can tell you they will welcome the help.  One thing I know that would
help 
immediately is if each of us sat down looked at
the big picture of what this initiative could mean in a positive way and
got 
behind it. Contacting Congressmen and Senators and urging them once and
for 
all not to SCREW THIS THING UP. by once again bastardizing the
legistlation 
or cutting the funds.

This is a chance to DO IT RIGHT for once... maybe we can help that
happen. 
And who knows Jerry, when the NOAA All Hazard Radio alerts  at 2AM and
warns 
you of a tornado coming to your town, you might appreiciate the All
Hazard 
Radio Network when itsave your life and that of your family and friends.

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