Emergency Communications: The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All Hazard Warnings

Publication Date: February 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Media, telecommunications, and information

Type:

Abstract:

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is one of several federally managed warning systems. Intended as a broadcast medium for the President to reach the American people in time of crisis, the system has never been activated on a national basis. It has been used to alert citizens to local emergencies, such as hazardous chemical spills or forest fires, and is widely used for weather alerts. Legislation (S. 118, Senator Edwards) has been proposed to develop a single all-hazard warning system. This could replace many federally-managed programs that alert or notify citizens in times of emergency.

EAS was not activated at either the national or local level on September 11, 2001. This episode has brought the usefulness of the alert system into question. Furthermore, recent, major studies of warning systems have concluded that the United States needs a more robust emergency alert system. Among the weaknesses noted in the current systems are: insufficient coordination, dependence on a limited set of technologies, weak or diffused administration, and insufficient attention to human factors. Recommendations for improvement include providing a standardized alert protocol and developing infrastructure for notification to virtual communities. A virtual community in the context of emergency communications refers to the technical ability to give immediate, simultaneous alerts to the appropriate community of responders and affected residents. This community varies with each type of emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) jointly administers EAS with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in cooperation with the National Weather Service. The transfer of FEMA to the Department of Homeland Security raises the possibility that EAS could be merged with other DHS functions.

This report summarizes the technology and administration of EAS and some current proposals for an all-hazard network. It will be updated.