EAS Maintenance: New Code, FCC Deadline Oct. 3

posted on 9.08.2025

- ETRS Form One Due Soon

Despite the absence of a national EAS test this year, Radio and TV broadcasters have some homework to do to ensure their stations are up to date with FCC rules and prepared for the next EAS related deadline in four weeks.

New Code for Missing Persons Alerts

Monday, Sept. 8, was the effective date of the new EAS Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) event code to be used by all EAS Participants, including broadcast stations, on a voluntary basis.  

In August 2024, the FCC adopted a Report and Order creating a new EAS event code for persons over the age of 17 who are missing or abducted from states, territories, or tribal communities (known as Ashanti Alerts), but delayed its effective date to provide EAS Participants with enough time to update their EAS systems to use the code. The MEP event code will be added to the list of EAS event codes contained in the Texas State EAS Plan when it is next updated.

EAS endec manufacturers have upgrades available to add the MEP event code to your equipment.  The update for Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC units was incorporated in the Version 5.4 update issued in November 2024.  Gorman-Redlich reports they will have an update by the end of September.

The Sage update is known as 96-1-P1 (released Sept. 3) https://www.sagealertingsystems.com/support-firmware-new.htm. 

After updating your firmware to Rev96-1-P1, you'll most likely need to add an MEP event code to your Incoming Filters if it doesn't already exist in your configuration, using the latest version of ENDECSetD: https://www.sagealertingsystems.com/support-pc.htm. 

For specific instructions to do this, email TAB’s Michael Schneider.

As in the case of the CAE event code (Child Abduction Emergency, commonly known as an Amber Alert), relay of an MEP EAS alert is voluntary.

There are only four types of required EAS messages that must be relayed by a station upon receipt. These are contained in a brief list on Page 26 of the Texas State EAS Plan:  

1. “NEM” (National Emergency Message) = Must be re-transmitted immediately. 
2. “RMT” (Required Monthly Test) containing County of License code = Must be re-transmitted within 5- 60 minutes of origination.
3. “RWT” (Required Weekly Test) containing County of License code = This received test need only be logged. No re-broadcast required.
4. “NPT” National Periodic Test) = Must be re-transmitted immediately.

ETRS Form One Due Oct. 3

As a reminder, there will be no National Periodic Test of EAS this year. Most broadcast stations are still required, however, to file FCC ETRS Form One by Friday, Oct. 3. TAB detailed which types of stations are involved, what information the form seeks to collect, a link to use to access ETRS, and where to go for help. That information is available in this Aug. 11 TAB Bulletin story.

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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