Emergency Preparedness: Current Emergency Alert System Has Limitations, and Development of a New Integrated System Will Be Challenging

Adequate training for all Emergency Alert System (EAS) participants is critical to ensure that they are qualified to use the equipment and draft effective emergency messages that the public will be able to understand and act upon. We found a significant limitation of EAS is inadequate training for EAS participants, both in the use of EAS equipment and in the drafting of EAS messages. We recommended that FEMA, in conjunction with FCC, develop and implement a plan to verify that EAS participants have the training and technical skills to issue effective EAS alerts. FEMA responded to this recommendation by improving the training for EAS participants and making the system more user-friendly. In particular, FEMA, in coordination with FCC, worked with the Emergency Management Institute to develop specific training for emergency managers. In June 2011, FEMA held a focus group of alerting and communications industry subject matter experts and state and local emergency managers to validate the training. According to FEMA, the long range plan is to incorporate the Web-based training for emergency managers into the FEMA National Incident Management Systems training pipeline. As a result, the overall effectiveness of EAS will be improved since EAS participants will learn the skills necessary to issue alerts that elicit appropriate public action.

While the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is one of the mainstays of the nation's capacity to communicate emergency information to the public during disasters, we found its reliability to issue such warnings is uncertain. With no requirements to test the relay system for disseminating national-level alerts and with no nationwide test results, the public lacks assurance that EAS would work as intended in a national emergency. We recommended that FEMA work in conjunction with FCC to develop and implement a plan to verify the dependability and effectiveness of the relay distribution system used to disseminate national-level alerts. In 2009, FEMA responded to this recommendation by coordinating with FCC to plan for the first-ever nationwide test of EAS, which is scheduled to occur November 9, 2011. As a result of this action, FEMA will have an opportunity to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system. According to a FEMA official, the first-ever nationwide test is a step towards ensuring that the alert and warning community is prepared to deliver critical information that can help save lives and protect property. Furthermore, the first nationwide test will establish a baseline from which FEMA can make incremental improvements to EAS with ongoing and future testing.

Effectively implementing an integrated alert system will require collaboration among a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including those at the federal, state, and local levels; private industry; and the affected consumer community. We found a regular forum for public and private stakeholders to discuss emerging issues related to the implementation of an integrated alert system did not exist. Without such a forum, coordination among the diverse stakeholders could occur on an ad-hoc basis, but there would be no systematic means of bringing all interested public and private stakeholders together for a comprehensive, strategic review of the processes, standards, systems, and strategies related to the implementation of the integrated system. We recommended that FEMA, in conjunction with FCC, establish a forum for the diverse stakeholders involved with emergency communications to discuss emerging and other issues related to the implementation of an integrated public alert and warning system. In response to this recommendation, in March 2010, FEMA developed and implemented a Stakeholder Engagement Plan, which according to FEMA, identifies user communities and specifies communication means to ensure effective coordination among stakeholders. Furthermore, FEMA, in coordination with FCC, has engaged the Emergency Alert System (EAS) community by facilitating forums, participating in trade conferences, and distributing marketing publications. FEMA said it has also developed an external idea sharing Web site to discuss best practices and lessons learned from the EAS community on a variety of topics that will support discussions during webinar and roundtable events. By meeting regularly with FCC and other community stakeholders, FEMA is better able to ensure that the evolving public alert and warning systems will effectively protect life and property.

Effectively implementing an integrated alert system will require collaboration among a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including those at the federal, state, and local levels; private industry; and the affected consumer community. We found a regular forum for public and private stakeholders to discuss emerging issues related to the implementation of an integrated alert system did not exist. Without such a forum, coordination among the diverse stakeholders could occur on an ad-hoc basis, but there would be no systematic means of bringing all interested public and private stakeholders together for a comprehensive, strategic review of the processes, standards, systems, and strategies related to the implementation of the integrated system. We recommended that FEMA, in conjunction with FCC, establish a forum for the diverse stakeholders involved with emergency communications to discuss emerging and other issues related to the implementation of an integrated public alert and warning system. In response to this recommendation, in March 2010, FEMA developed and implemented a Stakeholder Engagement Plan, which according to FEMA, identifies user communities and specifies communication means to ensure effective coordination among stakeholders. Furthermore, FEMA, in coordination with FCC, has engaged the Emergency Alert System (EAS) community by facilitating forums, participating in trade conferences, and distributing marketing publications. FEMA said it has also developed an external idea sharing Web site to discuss best practices and lessons learned from the EAS community on a variety of topics that will support discussions during webinar and roundtable events. By meeting regularly with FCC and other community stakeholders, FEMA is better able to ensure that the evolving public alert and warning systems will effectively protect life and property.