For example, amateur radio was described as dying around 10 years ago. Today, in the United States of America, the American Radio Relay League … http://www.arrl.org … reports over 700,000 licensed operators. This is a record high number.

While local broadcasters are still lighting the filaments of their transmitters, they are also streaming their signal, EAS and all, out to the internet. Listeners, using tools like http://tunein.com/ and associated applications on their smartphones are listening to local stations like http://tunein.com/radio/KWHW-1450-s26263/

For emergency managers, the mainstay of warning and emergency public information remains AM radio while the Citizen is still encouraged to have a battery-powered AM radio in their disaster supply kit. Because so many people are getting FM only receivers to use while they jog, many broadcasters, like the one mentioned above, are simulcasting FM and AM programming.

While broadcasting may be declining, it’s not over until the last filament goes dark. I can remember folks saying the same thing about Shortwave Radio and, yet, HCJB still broadcasts and still streams from http://www.hcjb.org/

The challenge, as Gary Timm, notes is how to get a information to a device that’s not connected to anything, ex. the IPOD in the park connected to a runner, the audiophile enjoying a 33.33-rpm recording, the motorist listening to a CD in the car.

This is the method of the madness of asking the Citizen to have THREE ways to get alerts, rather than depend on only one. The responsibility, in my opinion, does not fall to manufacturers (only) but to the Citizen to insure they have a plan, a kit that supports the plan, and they have practiced that plan sufficiently.

Are YOU ready?

On the surface, this may appear to be bad, but in the near term, this may be the most generous option.

Many of those in my community have a hard time understanding the current version of text to speech. In other words, us old folks can’t hear what the computer is saying.

There’s also the issue of geographical differences in words. For example, is “soda” and “pop” the same as “soda pop” or “Coke”. If one were to write “I’d like a Coke and fries”, the computer will read that hearer may need more information, ex. “We don’t serve Coke, is Royal Crown Cola OK?”

Given the National Incident Management System guidance on “plain language”, this may be the best option at the moment.

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/plain_lang.pdf

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/emergency-blogs/campus/FEMA-CERT-New-Role-112411.html was a post from November 24 about Community Emergency Response Teams.

This is important training that every citizen should take.

@skywarndave What channel were you watching?

RT @skywarndave: @altusem TBS

We switched channels and after a while the channels were branded by “ABC” “Fox” etc. Lady Gaga went away and a few stations had a crawl and or a tone, some were silent.

There did not seem to be any consistency.

Not an Aware member so could not post on Aware but FYI following was observed here in Scituate, MA

Cable carrier – Comcast
Channels observed: USA and IonTV
EAS worked on both channels – screen had flashing green bars throughout. Audio was unclear with static and the alert tones were repeating throughout which masked the audio. No text appeared on screen.

Voice worked fine on local FM station WATD

Cheers
David O’Connor

(note – Scituate is coastal community about 30 miles south of Boston, 25 miles north of Plymouth.

One of the best ways to mitigate against false information is to:

1. Become a trusted purveyor of fine information and engage your community with that information. Do it early. Do it often.
2. Engage a Virtual Operations Support Team to help you with new media monitoring. This team can feed you information to help you overcome rumor.

See http://www.sm4em.org/?s=VOST for more information about the Virtual Operations Support Team concept.