The first component is the New York City Emergency Alert System (EAS), which enables the mayor to disseminate critical information to New Yorkers from anywhere in the city through analog radio and television stations and cable television systems. The second component is the establishment of six facilities in three boroughs where city officials can conduct news conferences, which will be transmitted live to the media through fiber optic lines.
"Central to managing any emergency is getting important information to the public quickly," said Mayor Bloomberg. "This emergency public communications network means that New Yorkers can rest assured that they will get the information they need during an emergency. Everyone who worked on this project, especially Kevin Plumb of WABC Radio, Mark Olkowski of WINS Radio, and Richard Novik of the New York State Broadcasters Association, deserves the thanks of all New Yorkers."
"Broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest and I can think of nothing that serves the public more than broadcasting vital information in a timely manner," said New York State Broadcasters Association Senior Vice President Richard Novik.
The New York City EAS is based upon Memorandums of Understanding between the city, WABC-AM, WFAN-AM, WINS-AM and WCBS-AM. The mayor can activate the city EAS from an EAS device itself or by phone. The EAS works by a relay method -- an emergency message is radioed to four local radio stations -- WABC-AM, WINS-AM, WCBS-AM and WFAN-AM -- known as Local Primary Ones (LP1s). All other analog radio and television stations and cable television systems are required by the FCC to electronically monitor two LP1s in New York City.
Typically, there are only two LP1s, but the New York City EAS plan expanded it to four for added redundancy. Once a message airs on a LP1, equipment at other area analog radio and television stations and cable television systems will capture the EAS message and can rebroadcast that message. Under FCC rules, retransmission of local and state EAS alerts are strictly voluntary by broadcasters; only a Presidential EAS message must be broadcast by all analog radio and television stations and cable television systems.
The city's EAS plan was approved by the State Emergency Communications Committee on April 29, 2004 and was accepted by the FCC. In addition, the city has partnered with the New York State Broadcasters Association to review local EAS monitoring assignments to ensure that national, state and local EAS messages are appropriately broadcast to the general public. The city will also install special EAS equipment at the 911 call center and the 311 citizen service center to ensure that the city's frontline call takers will have the latest information in the event of an emergency.
The EAS was originally known as the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), and was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy. The EBS only applied to broadcast radio and television stations. In 1994, the FCC replaced the EBS with the EAS, which expanded participants to cable companies as well. The EAS was expanded again in 1997 to include wireless cable systems. Currently, direct broadcast satellite, digital television and satellite digital audio radio services have no EAS requirements.
In August of 2004, the FCC began to review how emerging broadcast technology could affect EAS and that only a Presidential message is required for rebroadcast -- rebroadcast of state and local messages, while encouraged, are solely voluntary. The city will file comments with the FCC detailing the improvements needed to the EAS that will improve this tool to provide vital information to the public.
The city also plans to activate more sites across the city that can immediately broadcast to the media.
