Emergency Alert System Nationwide Test 11-9-2011

[Borg 386]

Nationwide (USA) Emergency Alert System Test: November 9th

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, FEMA, NOAA and FCC will conduct the first ever national test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS). This nationwide test will kick off at 1:00 pm (CST) and run concurrently across all time zones. This system test is the first of its kind designed to broadcast a nationwide message to the American public.

There is concern in local police and emergency management circles about undue public anxiety over this test. The test message on TV might not indicate that it is just a test. The fear is that the lack of an explanation regarding the message might create panic. Please share this information with your team, family and friends so they are aware of the test.

We anticipate that the test will last approximately 3 minutes. While most messages, such as tsunami or hurricane warnings, are limited to two minutes by the emergency alert system, the Presidential message capability (which will be used in the national test) does not have a time limit. So to evaluate if the system properly interprets the Presidential message code in this test, the message duration must be longer than two minutes in length.

Below are a few websites that will provide more information regarding this test:

FEMA Blog: Help Us Spread the Word – On November 9, “This is Just a Test”

FEMA: Nationwide EAS Test

https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/

 

[seekermeister]

EAS

I guess it not a bad idea, but I thought that I had got away from all of those emergency tests on TV, since I don't use it anymore. I guess that since this first test is supposed to be national, that we all will get the same thing:

On November 9, 2011 a nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test
will be conducted at 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST. This is the first time
that the EAS will be tested on a national level. Please note that no
actual emergency is taking place, this is just a test.

 

[Brink]

At the Federal Communications Commission's June 9, 2011 Agenda meeting, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett, joined by representatives from FEMA and the National Weather Service, announced that the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) would take place at 2:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) on November 9, 2011. The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism. EAS Participants currently participate in state-level monthly tests and local-level weekly tests, but no top-down review of the entire system has ever been undertaken. The Commission, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will use the results of this nationwide test to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism, and will work together with EAS stakeholders to make improvements to the system as appropriate.

Read more at:
Emergency Alert System Nationwide Test | FCC.gov

 

[seekermeister]

Hmm, I intended to see the alert, but forgot and was playing a game instead, therefore I saw and heard nothing. I would have thought that the alert would have been seen or heard, regardless of what activity was occurring at the time. Did anyone else see or hear it?

 

[Airbot]

Was just a scrolling banner across the screen of the TV for 30 seconds.

Just like any other alert.

Emergency Alert System to Be Tested Across the Country's TVs and Radios - NYTimes.com

 

[seekermeister]

That probably explains it, because the game covered it. Still, I would have thought it would be designed to be on top of anything else.

EDIT:

Got this from your link:

...some cable and satellite television subscribers said they did not. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancies, but that was one of the purposes of the test — to find out how well the system would work in an actual emergency.

This seems like a more likely explanation in my case, because my connection is cable.

 

[Brink]

National Emergency Alert System Fails Its First Test​

The very first test of the National Emergency Alert System today, but it appears that the new high-tech system that was due to take over all the airwaves failed fairly spectacularly. At 2PM eastern time, the system was supposed to break into radio and all TV channels to ensure all the parts were working as expected. Instead, many regions didn’t get any alerts at all.

Read more at:
Maximum PC | National Emergency Alert System Fails Its First Test

 

[A Guy]

I passed!

A Guy

 

[seekermeister]

I think that I must have misunderstood how they were expecting it to work, because Brink's link only speaks of it breaking into radio and TV channels, and I have neither...unless you includes Hulu, AOL Radio, etc. Even if they were included, that would mean that I would most likely miss an alert, even if it did work, because most of the time I'm not connected to anything like that. I had thought that it was supposed to alert a computer that was simply connected to the internet, regardless of what it was or was not doing.

 

[arkhi]

Didn't see/hear it. Was too busy sleeping. :/


So much of warning as many as possible of impending doom. Just kidding. XD

 

[seekermeister]

Thinking further about this...why is an alert system needed on a national basis? The only thing that comes to mind is an act of war, like a missile attack or a comet falling falling out of the sky. Most alerts are of a more local nature, like tornado, hurricane (or if they ever acquired the ability to predict, earthquake) warnings. I suppose that it is good to be prepared for anything, but it seems to me that this system will probably never get used (fingers crossed).

 

[EvilOzzmess]

This POS is the reason why we all had to change over from Analog to Digital. They did this because of how the (perfectly fine and working local) EAS was carried out before, with local stations having to have somebody there to physically flip the switches to send out the alerts, thus they could choose not to comply (incurring hefty fines). This way, they have just about enough freedom of choice over it as all of us have: zilch.

As for the reasons they want to be able to grid-lock TV and Radio from wherever and whenever, remotely, and at the 'President's' sole discretion... I don't know (and I for one don't like it one bit). As for why we NEED this... we didn't. The old EAS worked just fine and everybody knows, if something really bad was going to happen which would call for something like this... they (our Government) wouldn't tell us because they don't want us to panic and riot and all the rest of it.

By the way, this NES was a spectacular failure. It was glitched to high hell, entire states didn't get it, had no picture and/or audio or the thing just popped on and off constantly. I for one hope they don't fix it and abandon it... they have entirely too much power over the TV and Radio (and everything else) as it is these days and it's a sure bet that this will not be used as it should be (for emergencies only): they'll find ways to abuse it and even probably start forcing us to watch the President's Addresses and etc.

Or, if they don't like something going on the radio or etc. they can just turn this on and block it out for you (the very same thing they are drooling over doing with the internet). George Orwell's 1984 is happening, folks. The name of this game is called: total control/censorship.


Oh... and I don't recall there being an EAS during or after 9/11 (was sitting right there in front of the TV, not a damn thing about it apart from the news)... a lot of good that did for us then! It'll be the same thing if something like that happened again. No EAS/NES... have to hear it on the news or from somebody calling you. So in conclusion... this was just a huge waste of our dwindling tax dollars and a shameless power grab. Hooray!

 

[seekermeister]

If the purpose was to force us to watch political addresses, then they would need a way to control the power switch on my computer, as well as a way to force me to watch and listen. While I agree that this system appears to be extraneous for most anticipated situations, which makes me suspect that the intent is not what it appears, I will reserve judgement. Of course, by the time that I can actually make a judgement, it will be too late to do anything except complain...actually, it was too late after the last election.