The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national system in the U.S. put into place in 1994, superseding the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) and is jointly coordinated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Emergency Managemant Agency (FEMA), and the National Weather Service (NWS). The official EAS is designed to enable the President of the United States to speak to the United States within 10 minutes (this official federal EAS has never been activated). The EAS regulations and standards are governed by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the FCC. Each State and several territories have their own EAS plan.^[1] Graphic for Emergency Alert System Uploaded from Federal Communication Commission web site File links The following pages link to this file: Emergency Alert System User:Wyatts Categories: United States government images ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... A slide used by television stations during Emergency Broadcast System announcements and tests. ... The FCCs official seal. ... New FEMA seal The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA is an agency of the United States government dedicated to swift response in the event of disasters, both natural and man-made. ... The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ...

The EAS covers both AM/FM/ACSSB(R)(LM(R)) radio and VHF Low/VHF Medium/VHF High/UHF/television (including low-power stations), HRC/IRC/ICC/STD/EIA, cable television and wireless cable television companies. Digital television, digital cable, XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio, Grendade, Worldspace, IBOC, DAB and digital radio broadcasters have been required to participate in the EAS since December 31, 2006. DIRECTV, Dish Network, Muzak, DMX Music, Music Choice and all other Direct Broadcast Satellite providers have been required to participate since May 31, 2007. Video Dial Tone (OVS) has been required to participate since July 1, 2007. AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using Amplitude Modulation. ... FM broadcasting is a broadcast technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation (FM) to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. ... The abbreviation LM can refer to the following: the Apollo Lunar Module spacecraft a Light meter the Liberal Movement, a defunct Australian political party. ... Very high frequency (VHF) is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. ... Very high frequency (VHF) is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. ... Very high frequency (VHF) is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. ... This article is about the radio frequency. ... Harmonically related carriers (a. ... Incrementally related carriers (a. ... ICC may refer to: // ICC Bank, Ireland ICC Productions, hip-hop record label International Chamber of Commerce, supporting global trade and globalisation Internet Chess Club, a commercial Internet site on which to play chess International Christian Communications Media Group International Code Council Membership association dedicated to building safety and fire... STD is a three-letter abbreviation used in several different contexts that stand for different terms. ... EIA may refer to the following: Electronic Industries Alliance Energy Information Administration Environmental Impact Assessment Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Equity Indexed Annuity Exercise-induced anaphylaxis This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... Multichannel multipoint distribution service, also known as MMDS or wireless cable, is a wireless telecommunications technology, used for general-purpose broadband networking or, more commonly, as an alternative method of cable television programming reception. ... Digital television (DTV) is a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound by means of digital signals, in contrast to analog signals used by analog (traditional) TV. DTV uses digital modulation data, which is digitally compressed and requires decoding by a specially designed television set, or a... Digital cable is a term for a type of cable digital television that delivers more channels than possible with analog cable by using digital video compression. ... “XM” redirects here. ... Sirius Satellite Radio NASDAQ: SIRI is one of two satellite radio (SDARS) services operating in the United States and Canada, along with XM Satellite Radio. ... WorldSpaces AfriStar control center in Washington, D.C. WorldSpace is the worlds first digital satellite radio network. ... In-band on-channel (IBOC) is a method of transmitting digital and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency. ... Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), also known as Eureka 147, is a technology for broadcasting of audio using digital radio transmission. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A standard DirecTV satellite dish with 1 LNB on a roof DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service based in El Segundo, California, USA, that transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America except for Mexico. ... DISH Network is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television and audio programming to households and businesses in the United States, owned by parent company EchoStar Communications Corporation. ... Muzak Holdings LLC is a company, founded in 1934, that is best known for distribution of music to retail stores and other companies. ... DMX Music (previously known as Digital Music Express before its merger with AEI Music), is a subscription service that provides over 100 channels of music in digital format, delivered via digital cable, satellite, and on-premise technology. ... For Music Choice in United Kingdom, see Music Choice Extra Music Choice is a name used by two different companies, one in the US and one in Europe. ... Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception, also referred to as direct-to-home signals. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Listen to:
A SAME header (help· info)
An attention signal (help· info)
Image File history File links Same. ... Image File history File links Emergency_alert_system_tone. ...

Technical concept

Main article: Specific Area Message Encoding

Messages in the EAS are comprised of four parts: a digitally encoded SAME header, an attention signal, an audio announcement, and a digitally encoded end-of-message marker. Specific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol used to encode the Emergency Alert System in the U.S. for broadcast stations. ... Specific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol used to encode the Emergency Alert System in the U.S. for broadcast stations. ... In information technology, Header refers to supplemental data placed at the beginning of a block of data being stored or transmitted, which contain information for the handling of the data block. ...

A Sage EAS ENDEC unit.

The SAME header (help· info) is the most critical part of the EAS design. It contains information about who originated the alert (the President, state or local authorities, the National Weather Service, or the broadcaster), a short, general description of the event (tornado, flood, severe thunderstorm), the areas affected (up to 32 counties or states), the expected duration of the event (in minutes), the date and time it was issued (in UTC), and an identification of the originating station. (See SAME for a complete breakdown of the header.) Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1010x338, 101 KB) A Sage Alerting Systems EAS ENDEC and matching reciever, used to recieve and propagate EAS alerts. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1010x338, 101 KB) A Sage Alerting Systems EAS ENDEC and matching reciever, used to recieve and propagate EAS alerts. ... Image File history File links Same. ... For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ... ... Specific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol used to encode the Emergency Alert System in the U.S. for broadcast stations. ...

30+ radio stations are designated as National Primary Stations in the Primary Entry Point (PEP) System to distribute Presidential messages to other broadcast stations and cable systems.^[2] The Emergency Action Notification is the notice to broadcasters that the President of the United States or his designee will deliver a message over the EAS via the PEP system. "You {AM and FM broadcasters} will hear the following Emergency Action Notification Message from the EAS decoder. This is an Emergency Action Notification requested by the White House. All broadcast stations will follow activation procedures in the EAS Operating Handbook for a national level emergency. The President of the United States or his representative will shortly deliver a message over the Emergency Alert System." ^[3] For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ...

Because the header lacks error detection codes it is repeated three times for redundancy. EAS decoders compare the received headers against one another, looking for an exact match between any two, eliminating most errors which can cause an activation to fail. The decoder then decides whether to ignore the message or whether to relay it on the air based on whether the message applies to the local area served by the station (following parameters set by the broadcaster).

The SAME header bursts are followed by an attention signal (help· info) which lasts between eight and 25 seconds, depending on the originating station. The tone is 1050 Hz (help· info) on a NOAA Weather Radio station, while on commercial broadcast stations, it consists of a "two tone" combination of 853 Hz and 960 Hz sine waves and is the same attention signal used by the older Emergency Broadcast System. The "two tone" system is no longer required as of 1998 and is to be used only for audio alerts before EAS messages.^[4] Like the EBS, the attention signal is followed by a voice message describing the details of the alert. Image File history File links Emergency_alert_system_tone. ... Image File history File links 1050Hz. ... NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is an American network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office [1]. NWR broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. ... In trigonometry, an ideal sine wave is a waveform whose graph is identical to the generalized sine function y = Asin[ω(x − α)] + C, where A is the amplitude, ω is the angular frequency (2π/P where P is the wavelength), α is the phase shift, and C... A slide used by television stations during Emergency Broadcast System announcements and tests. ...

The message ends with three bursts of the AFSK "EOM", or End of Message, which is the text NNNN, preceded each time by the binary 10101011 calibration. Audio frequency-shift keying (AFSK) is a modulation technique by which digital data is represented as changes in the frequency (pitch) of an audio tone, yielding an encoded signal suitable for transmission via radio or telephone. ... End of Message. ... The binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, is a numeral system that represents numeric values using two symbols, usually 0 and 1. ...

The White House has endorsed the migration to the Common Alerting Protocol and FEMA is in the process of testing implementation.^[5][6] The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is an XML-based data format for exchanging emergency alerts and public warnings among different alerting technologies. ...

Station requirements

The FCC requires all broadcast stations to install and maintain EAS decoders and encoders at their control points. These decoders continuously monitor the signals from other nearby broadcast stations for EAS messages. For reliability, at least two other source stations must be monitored, one of which must be a designated local primary. Stations are to retain the latest version of the EAS handbook. The FCCs official seal. ...

Stations are required by law to keep full logs of all received and transmitted EAS messages. Logs may be kept by hand but are usually kept automatically by a small receipt printer in the encoder/decoder unit. Logs may also be kept electronically inside the unit as long as there is access to an external printer or method to transfer them to a personal computer.

In addition to the audio messages transmitted by radio stations, television stations must also transmit a visual message. A text "crawl" is displayed at the top of the screen. A color coded "crawl" system is often used where the color signifies the priority of the message. Some television stations transmit only the visual message which is outside of the requirements. A television station may be used for monitoring by another station and thus the audio is necessary.^[4]

Upon reception of an alert, a station must relay EAN (Emergency Action Notification) and EAT (Emergency Action Termination) messages immediately (US FCC 7). Stations traditionally have been allowed to opt out of relaying other alerts such as severe weather and child abduction emergencies (AMBER Alerts) if they so choose. Under new rules published on July 12, 2007, the FCC intends to require all stations to relay state and local alerts that are approved by their states' governors (pending approval of the CAP standard). Mrs. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is an XML-based data format for exchanging emergency alerts and public warnings among different alerting technologies. ...

Some stations may be non-participating, and do not relay messages. Instead they transmit a message instructing listeners/viewers to tune to another station for the information, and they must then suspend their operation.

Testing the System

All EAS equipment must be tested weekly. The required weekly test (RWT) consists of the header and the end-of-message SAME bursts. The RWT need not contain an audio message nor are voice or graphic messages announcing the test are required, although many stations will provide them as a courtesy to the listener or viewer. Television stations are not required to transmit a video message for weekly tests. RWTs are scheduled by the station, alternating between night and day, and are not relayed.^[4]

On cable systems before the start of the EAS test, all of a system's channels are redirected to one analog channel which is received on all tiers of service, but doesn't usually give out news or weather information (such as the TV Guide Network, QVC, HSN, or a public access station), where the test occurs from the local headend office or from the system's master office elsewhere in the region. Newer technology allows cable DVR and video on demand systems to interrupt playback of a program for an EAS test. After the test ends, the one channel usually remains on screen for 5-10 addition seconds before the original station/network is returned to. TV Guide Network is a cable network produced by Gemstar-TV Guide International. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Home Shopping Network (HSN) is a mostly 24-hour shopping network that is seen on cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the United States. ... Public access television is a cable television service that allows members of the public to use a cable companys facilities and equipment to create and broadcast their own content. ... Cable television headend is a master facility for receiving television signals for processing and distribution over a cable television system. ... The initialism DVR, when used by itself, can refer to: Digital video recorder Digital voice recorder Discrete valuation ring Distance Vector Routing Dynamic voltage restorer Category: ... Video on demand (VOD) systems allow users to select and watch video and clip content over a network as part of an interactive television system. ...

Required Monthly Tests (RMTs) are generally originated by the primary relay station or a State's EAS agency, relayed by broadcast and cable stations. RMTs are conducted with the following procedure:

1. Normal programming is suspended, and an announcement may be made such as: "This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test."
2. The SAME Header burst is sent, perhaps followed by an attention signal.
3. Another voice message is sent, which runs something like this:

   "This is a coordinated monthly test of the broadcast stations in your area. Equipment that can quickly warn you during emergencies is being tested. If this had been an actual emergency such as (insert types of messages that may occur in the geographic area) , official messages would have followed the alert tone. This concludes this test of the Emergency Alert System."

4. The SAME EOM burst is sent.

RMTs must be performed between 8:30AM and local sunset during odd numbered months, and local sunset to 8:30AM for even months. Received tests must be retransmitted inside 60 minutes from receipt.^[4]

An RWT is not required during a calendar week in which an RMT is scheduled. No testing has to be done at all during a calendar week in which the EAS has been legitimately activated. Occasionally a periodic national test may be conducted.

Additions and proposals

The number of event types in the national system has grown to eighty. At first, almost all but three of the events were weather-related, the remaining types dedicated for civil emergencies. Since then, several classes of non-weather emergencies have been added, including, in most states, the AMBER Alert System for child abduction emergencies. Mrs. ...

In 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on whether EAS in its present form is the most effective mechanism for warning the American public of an emergency and, if not, on how EAS can be improved. As noted above, rules implemented by the FCC on July 12, 2007 provisionally endorse replacing the SAME protocol with CAP and allow governors to compel universal activation of the system within their own states. is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

EAS for consumers

EAS is designed to be useful for the entire public, not just those with SAME-capable equipment. However, several consumer-level radios do exist, especially weather radio receivers, which are available to the public through both mail-order and retailers like Radio Shack, Circuit City, and several others. Other specialty receivers for AM/FM/ACSSB(R)(LM(R)) are available only through mail-order, or in some places from federal, state, or local governments, especially where there is a potential hazard nearby such as a nuclear plant or chemical factory. These radios come pre-tuned to a station in each area that has agreed to provide this service to local emergency management officials and agencies, often with a direct link back to the plant's safety system or control room for instant activation should an evacuation or other emergency arise. NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is an American network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office [1]. NWR broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. ... In radio terminology, a receiver is an electronic circuit that receives a radio signal from an antenna and decodes the signal for use as sound, pictures, navigational-position information, etc. ... The cover of the first Eatons catalog, published in 1884. ... A drawing of a self-service store Retailing consists of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, or away from a fixed location and related subordinated services (Definition of the WTO (last page). ... RadioShack Corporation (formerly Radio Shack) (NYSE: RSH) runs a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe. ... Circuit City (NYSE: CC) is a Fortune 200 company, and the third largest consumer electronics retailer in the United States with over $11 billion USD in sales[1], behind Best Buy and Wal-Mart. ... AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using Amplitude Modulation. ... FM broadcasting is a broadcast technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation (FM) to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. ... The abbreviation LM can refer to the following: the Apollo Lunar Module spacecraft a Light meter the Liberal Movement, a defunct Australian political party. ... Nuclear power station at Leibstadt, Switzerland. ... A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The ability to narrow messages down so that only the actual area in danger is alerted is extremely helpful in preventing false warnings, which was previously a major tune-out factor. Instead of sounding for all warnings within a station's area, SAME-decoder radios now sound only for the counties they are programmed for. When the alarm sounds, anyone with the radio knows that the danger is nearby and protective action should be taken. For this reason, the goal of the National Weather Service is that each home should have both a smoke detector and a SAME weather radio. A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ... A smoke detector or smoke alarm is a device that detects smoke and issues an alarm to alert nearby people that there is a potential fire. ... NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is an American network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office [1]. NWR broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. ...

A private website called the Emergency Email Network offers to send an email or SMS text message to registered users in the event of an EAS activation. Some desktop weather monitoring programs, such as WeatherBug, offer a computer alert during emergencies.

Currently under development is new infrastructure called the Digital Emergency Alert System. This system would allow the transmission of emergency alerts directly to citizens and responders without the need for a special receiver. These alerts would be sent to users of computers, mobile phones, pagers, and other devices. The Digital Emergency Alert System (DEAS) is a system designed to alert first-responders and civilians in the event of a national emergency. ...

See also: NAVTEX

A NAVTEX receiver prints an incoming message. ...

Incidents

On September 11, 2001, ". . . the EAS was not activated nationally or regionally in New York or Washington during the terrorist attacks on the nation." Richard Rudman, then chairman of the EAS National Advisory Committee explained that near immediate coverage in the national media meant that the media itself provided the warning or alert of what had happened at what might happen as quickly as the information could be distributed. "Some events really do serve as their own alerts and warnings. With the immediate live media coverage, the need for an EAS warning was lessened." 34 PEP stations were kept on high alert for use if the President had decided to order an Emergency Action Notification. "PEP is really is a last-ditch effort to get a message out if the president cannot get to the media." ^[7] is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

On February 1, 2005 someone inadvertently activated an EAS message over radio and television stations in Connecticut telling residents to evacuate the state immediately. Officials at the Office of Emergency Management announced that the activation and broadcast of the Emergency Alert System was in error due to possibly the wrong button being pressed. "State police said they received no calls related to the erroneous alert."^[8] is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On June 26, 2007, the EAS in Illinois was activated at 7:35AM CDT and issued an Emergency Action Notification Message for the United States. This was followed by dead air and then WGN-AM (720) radio (the station designated to simulcast the alert message) being played on almost every television and radio station in the Chicago area and throughout much of Illinois ^[9]. The accidental EAN activation was caused when a government contractor installing a new satellite receiver as part of a new national delivery path incorrectly left the receiver connected and wired to the state EOC's EAS transmitter before final closed circuit testing of the new delivery path had been completed. ^[10] is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... WGN-AM is a radio station on 720kHz in Chicago, co-owned with WGN-TV. WGN-AMs transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ...

References in pop culture

The EAS is recognized so widely that it has been implemented into popular culture, such as episodes of television shows, sometimes. For example, an episode of Dexter's Laboratory (entitled "911") focuses on Dexter's attempts to rectify all possible emergencies happening at the time that an EAS test interrupted his favorite television show. (Although it says in the episode that it was the Emergency Broadcast System, the episode was created after the change to the EAS.) The sounds and tones in the EAS are also in some songs. Dexters Laboratory (Dexters Lab for short and also the name for the mini series which involved his robot dog) is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. ... A slide used by television stations during Emergency Broadcast System announcements and tests. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Media:Emergency alert system tone.ogg
• NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards
• Emergency population warning
• 911 broadcast
• Nuclear Football

NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service (NWS) office. ... Some emergency situations can reach an entire population. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

External links

• Consumer facts page
• FCC notice regarding possible improvements
• Photo of PEP radio station WBZ's shelter area for broadcasting in an attack environment "Like all the other former I-A clears, WBZ has a bomb-shelter studio. In the unlikely event that Hull is left standing after Boston is obliterated, the few survivors can come out here and broadcast to each other until the generator fuel runs out."
• Required Weekly Test on WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA
• Required Weekly Test on WMLW-TV, Milwaukee
• Actual EAS Activation for a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Washington County PA