1. Nationwide EAS Test November 3rd, 2011
Information Briefing
November 3rd, 2011
Note the “P” in IPAWS. Not a first responder coordination or paging network. IPAWS enables public alerting authorities (at all levels local, state, federal) to send alert and warning information to the public.
Also the “I” – Integrated – IPAWS goal is to Integrate emergency alert and warning across all public communications systems – this increases reliability that affected citizens will receive an emergency alert and eases public safety officials access to the public

2. About the EAS
EAS was established in 1994 as a replacement for the EBS.
EAS predecessors date to 1951 and the CONELRAD system
The President has never activated the national-level EAS
A nationwide test has never been conducted
EAS’ primary purpose is to enable the President to notify the Nation during a national emergency
EAS is maintained in partnership between FEMA, FCC, NOAA, and private sector communications providers
Per FCC rules, the following communications service providers (EAS Participants) must participate in a nationwide EAS activation:
Broadcast radio and television stations
Cable television systems
Satellite radio and television (e.g., Sirius/XM, DirecTV)
Wireline video service providers (e.g., Verizon FiOS)
FEMA maintains the infrastructure for issuing national emergency alert messages
EAS participants voluntarily transmit State and Local alerts, as well as any initiated by the National Weather Service (NWS)
NOAA maintains interoperability with the National Weather Service systems

3. About the EAS The EAS is the alert and warning backbone
Can reach more people in more places with a single alert message
Can provide detailed emergency information to millions of people in a short period of time
Is in a full state of readiness at all times
Is resilient -- remains operational when other communication pathways fail
Has proven valuable in rural communities and post-disaster response

4. The Evolution of Emergency Alerting
Personal Localized
Alert Network
/ PLAN
2006
CONELRAD
EBS
EAS
IPAWS
Originally called the “Key Station System,” CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation (CONELRAD) was established in August Participating stations tuned to 640 & 1240 kHz AM and initiated a special sequence and procedure to warn citizens.
EBS was intended to address the nation with audible alerts. Did not allow targeted messaging.
Was upgraded in 1976 to provide better and more accurate alert handling.
Originally designed to give the President a way to communicate with the American Public.
Expanded for peacetime use at the state and local level.
EAS, jointly coordinated between FEMA, FCC, and NWS.
Designed for the President to speak to the American people within 10 minutes.
EAS messages composed of 4 parts:
Digitally encoded header
Attention Signal
Audio Announcement
Digitally encoded end-of- message marker
Integrated with NOAA to distribute weather and local alerts to broadcasters
IPAWS modernizes and integrates the Nation’s alert and warning infrastructure.
Integrates new and existing public alert and warning systems and technologies by adopting new alert information exchange format - the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)
Gives authorities a broader range of message options and multiple communications pathways
CONELRAD – taking the air raid siren to the next level – a system to warn the entire nation of an attack
EBS – evolution to allow audio/voice announcement of the alert message. Included procedures for pre-placed messages and systems to send a printed Presidential address to broadcast stations to be read to the public. Also beginning of support for local civil authorities to uses system for local emergencies.
Note – date of end of EBS beginning of EAS is actually somewhere between 1994 and 1997…
EAS – automation of the EBS and adoption of SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) - required equipment in each broadcast station listening for special tones designating a Presidential alert at which time the equipment would automatically take over the broadcast for relay of the Presidential message. Adoption of SAME, developed by NOAA, allowed EAS equipment to monitor and automatically broadcast weather alerts transmitted over NWR, at the broadcasters choosing.
IPAWS – the next evolution – modernizes the EAS for digital connection and message delivery to all broadcasters. Adds interface to cellular carriers, more integration with NOAA alerting networks, and incorporation of Internet services and future technologies in alert distribution capabilities.
Information Source: The Broadcast Archive
Maintained by: Barry Mishkind , The Eclectic Engineer 4

5. The Nationwide EAS Test
First Nationwide EAS Test -- November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. EST
Purpose:  To assess how well EAS would perform its primary function – to
alert the entire public during national emergencies.
Per FCC rules:
-- All EAS Participants must participate in nationwide testing
-- EAS Participants must submit test result data by December 27, 2011
The test is diagnostic in nature
FCC and FEMA will use test result data to assess what in the EAS works and what doesn’t, so we can continue to improve the system

6. What will the public hear and see on November 9th?
The test will be similar to local EAS tests conducted monthly by individual EAS participants and local officials…
…with three key differences:
It will be on all radio and television stations. Local tests are typically on one station at time
It will last approximately 30 seconds. Local tests are typically 1-2 minutes
During the test, the message crawl on television screens will not indicate “Test.” However:
Most broadcast television stations, DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse, and Verizon FiOS will insert a background image on the screen saying, “This is only a test.”
Cable television systems may not be able to display a similar background image

7. Nationwide EAS test –audio message:
The text that will be announced on all participating channels:
“This is a test of the Emergency Alert System.  [PAUSE] This is only a test.  The message you are hearing is part of a nationwide live code Test of Emergency Alert System capabilities.  This test message has been initiated by National Alert and Warning authorities in coordination with Emergency Alert System participants, including broadcast, cable, satellite, and wireline participants in your area.   Had this been an actual emergency, the attention signal you just heard would have been followed by emergency information, news, or instructions.   Remember, this is only a test.  The Emergency Alert System is also used by State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local authorities to alert and warn the public and provide important emergency response information. Remember, this is only a test. … [repeat of above] … This has been a test of the Emergency Alert System”

8. Sample television screen display variations:
All EAS messages provide a text crawl that indicate the type of emergency and for what area the message is for.

9. Test Preparations
FEMA and the FCC have been engaged in planning, pre-testing, and outreach activities for the nationwide test since 2009.
Public Outreach activities began in June:
FEMA and FCC press releases
FCC website:
FEMA Blog Posts:
FCC Consumer Factsheet and Guide
FCC and FEMA Frequently Asked Questions
Audio and Video Public Service Announcements in English and Spanish with captioning
Working with broadcast and cable networks to air announcements before and/or after the test to tell viewers that this is, in fact, a test

10. Test Preparations, cont.
Public Outreach activities, cont:
Webinars, roundtables, and briefings with EAS Participants and government agencies
Newsletter blurbs and other test-related information materials for consumer and community organizations and government agencies, including 911 Call Centers
Information documents published:
FEMA EAS Best Practices Guide
FCC Nationwide EAS Test Handbook for EAS Participants
FEMA EAS Test Informational Toolkit

11. Next Generation Alerting – FCC Initiatives
Deploy CMAS/PLAN in New York City by the end of the year, nationwide starting in April 2012.
FCC rulemaking to implement the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)

12. Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
The FEMA IPAWS Program is the Department of Homeland Security’s response to Executive Order 13407
FEMA, in partnership with the FCC, NOAA, and the private sector is implementing “the policy of the United States to have an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people...and to ensure under all conditions the President can communicate with the American people.”
IPAWS integrates new and existing public alert and warning systems and technologies to provide local, State, territorial, tribal, and Federal government alert and warning officials access to broader range of message options and communications pathways for the delivery of alert and warning information to the American people before, during, and after a disaster.

13. IPAWS Vision Integration of public alert communications systems:
“Timely Alert And Warning To American Citizens In The Preservation of Life And Property”
Integration of public alert communications systems:
Facilitate single emergency alert message delivery to all available public dissemination channels
Easier to use for alerting authorities
EAS
CMAS
Picture (OV-1) of IPAWS Vision –
– concept of single message delivered to multiple dissemination channels – integration, easier to use for alert authorities
This concept enhances alerting capability in two critical ways:
1 – increases the reliability that a citizen will receive an alert via at least one path
2 – increases likelihood that citizen seriously considers the alert because alert information available for verification/corroboration via multiple media paths
Improves and Enhances emergency alerting capability in two critical ways:
– increases reliability that affected citizens receive an alert via at least one path
– increases likelihood that citizens react to emergency alerts

14. IPAWS Architecture Standards based alert message protocols, authenticated alert message senders, shared, trusted access & distribution networks, alerts delivered to more public interface devices
Alert Disseminators
(public alerting systems)
American People
Alerting Authorities
* Includes NOAA
IPAWS compliant CAP Alert Origination Tools
Emergency
Local
Emergency Alert System
State
AM FM Satellite Radio;
Digital, Analog, Cable, and Satellite TV
Alert
Aggregator/ Gateway
Territorial
CAP messages
Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS)
(aka PLAN)
Tribal
cell phones, pagers
Commercial Mobile Networks
IPAWS OPEN
Federal*
Internet Services
CAP messages
web browsers, widgets, web sites, social media
the Message Router
(Open Platform for Emergency Networks)
IPAWS compliant CAP Alert Origination Tools
NOAA
HazCollect
NWS
(IPAWS SV-1)
Green = FEMA maintained interface to private industry systems Blue = NOAA System
Grey = state and local, not FEMA funded interfaces and systems
OPEN (Open Platform for Emergency Networks) is a message broker for exchanging standards compliant emergency messages. OPEN v1.0 aka as DMIS, was fielded in some localities to provide alert and warning message exchange with NOAA for non-weather hazard activation of the National Weather Radio network (HazCollect System). IPAWS 2.0 currently operational. IPAWS 3.0 will be IPAWS first increment initial operating capability
Authorized alerting officials at all levels of government access the IPAWS service and send CAP messages through OPEN to public information distribution systems.
IPAWS builds and maintains the OPEN interface and connection to privately maintained public information dissemination channels:
- radio and TV via EAS
- cellular phone broadcast via CMAS
- NOAA Weather Radio via HazCollect
- Internet services TBD
- Local Unique systems – such as Emergency Telephone Networks and local phone dialing system as well as other local alerting systems (e.g. siren, signboard)
IPAWS does not replace local alerting systems, but can be used by and integrated with local alerting systems
State / Local Unique Alerting Systems
FM RBDS
ETN
Siren
Digital Signage
Future Technologies

15. More Information? Please Visit:
FCC’s Nationwide EAS Test website at
FEMA Blog on the Nationwide Test
IPAWS National EAS test page