About 40 engineers attended the statewide EAS meeting in Charleston on Monday; Al Kenyon from FEMA spoke. Main takeway: check your EAS decoder programming before mid-September
1. There will be a statewide test using the "NPT" code on Wednesday September 17. It will actually originate from the FEMA server in Washington. The decoders have the code available, although most are probably not set up to receive the code--just a simple matter of re-programming incoming filters. This may or may not substitute for the September RMT.
2. We were allowed to look at --but not keep--a copy of the new proposed state plan. Still lots of errors--missing stations, incorrect contact numbers, etc. One interesting conundrum is how to handle border stations. For example, in Parkersburg, the Clear Channel studios are in Vienna, but only one of their four stations (WDMX) is licensed to WV. They seem to carry both Ohio and WV alerts. In the draft plan has one of their Ohio stations listed, but not the others. Same in Wheeling where the CC WVKF is listed, though licensed to Shadyside, Ohio.
However--and here are the sharp horns of that dangerous beast the conundrum--the state plan is also an enforcement document, used by the FCC for "revenue enhancement." So probably the safest approach is to only list the WV licensed stations in the plan, even though in border areas we carry alerts relevant to both sides of the border.
3. Most counties have emergency services offices qualified to send emergency traffic to the FEMA server (which could then be disseminated to the stations in that local area via internet. Does not seem to be a plan yet to actually make this part of the state plan. The statewide test may help this process along.
WV EAS meeting
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Re: WV EAS meeting
Thanks a bunch for the recap, Tom!!
America is at that awkward stage.
It is too late to work within the system,
but too early to shoot the bastards.
- Claire Wolfe
It is too late to work within the system,
but too early to shoot the bastards.
- Claire Wolfe
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Re: WV EAS meeting
One tip. On the Sage EAS decoders, be careful to check that you don't have the NPT code in more than one filter set---for example, in a filter set for immediate relay and a different set for log only. The decoder can't handle this, and will ignore any message with this code.
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Re: WV EAS meeting
Oooooh. Got it!
America is at that awkward stage.
It is too late to work within the system,
but too early to shoot the bastards.
- Claire Wolfe
It is too late to work within the system,
but too early to shoot the bastards.
- Claire Wolfe
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Re: WV EAS meeting
Any news on the proposed new state EAS plan? Held up in committee?