FCC to Re-Examine Emergency Alert System

The Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a rulemaking for a ground-up re-examination of the national alert and warning systems, including the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. This action will explore whether fundamental changes to these systems could make them more effective, efficient, and better able to serve the public’s needs. Specifically, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will:

• Seek comment on the objectives for effective alert and warning systems.
• Explore which entities need to be able to send alerts to fully accomplish these objectives and how these needs should be addressed in the design of alerting systems.
• Consider the alert transmission capabilities that a national public alert and warning system must have to achieve its objectives, including the need for resilience, geographic targeting, and security.
• Ask whether EAS and WEA are meeting the needs and expectations of both the public and alerting authorities, and if not, whether redesign or targeted changes would allow EAS and WEA to fully reach their potential.
• Examine both the types of information and distribution methods needed to effectively convey information to the public through EAS and WEA.