Emergency Systems
Emergency Systems
Texas broadcasters are first responders in times of crisis. Residents of communities all across the Lone Star State know to turn to their local radio and television stations when emergencies arise.
Broadcasters relay life-saving information through news programming and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). EAS is used by federal, state and local emergency managers and the National Weather Service to relay specific information to the public via radio and TV stations in times of emergency or when there is a threat of a weather incident.
EAS can relay emergency information on stations that don’t even have a newsroom. The Texas State EAS Plan calls on broadcasters to deliver these important, emergency messages throughout the state’s 254 counties.
Texas broadcasters also developed other uses for EAS. In 1997, Dallas-area broadcasters created the AMBER Alert program to relay life-saving information concerning child abductions. AMBER broadcast alerts heard on local radio and TV stations are directly responsible for the safe return of hundreds of children across the U.S.
Nearly 400 children have been saved nationwide (according to www.missingkids.com).
TAB President Ann Arnold joined the FCC’s Media Security and Reliability Council (MSRC) in 2002. This working group of broadcast industry leaders is charged with creating a national plan of action for broadcasters in time of terrorist attacks and other national emergencies.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin recently named Arnold to the FCC’s Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee with the goal of establishing a voluntary, national emergency alert system.
Select one of the links on the left for more information on EAS, the AMBER plan and the MSRC findings.
Contact TAB’s Michael Schneider with any questions.