EAS Event Draws 175+ Participants

EAS was the focus when approximately 175 people attended a weekend meeting on that topic. It was held by the National Alliance of State Broadcaster Associations.
Clear Channel and Comlabs Inc. sponsored the event.
Government authorities and broadcasters were invited to develop plans at the state and local level to use broadcasters’ mass audience to communicate with the public in a crisis.
“Studies show most people expect to be warned in times of danger by broadcasters. Dissemination of emergency information is imperative and must become a part of state and local government’s standard operating procedures,” sad Suzanne Goucher, president and chief executive officer of the Maine Association of Broadcasters.
State broadcast association presidents, governor-appointed emergency management officials, state emergency communications committee members, and various federal officials attended the event.
Speakers included: Ann Arnold, Texas Association of Broadcasters executive director & chair of the Government to Media Subcommittee for the FCC’s Media Security & Reliability Council; David Barrett, chief executive officer of Hearst Argyle Television and chairman of the FCC Media Security & Reliability Council; Goucher; Reynold Hoover, director, Office of National Security Coordination for FEMA; Ron Laney, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice; Frank Lucia, retired FCC Chief of EAS and
Herb White, NOAA/National Weather Service
Summit attendees agreed states must ensure that the Emergency Alert System is robust and that established communication protocols are in place in order to prevent disasters. NASBA assembled experts and materials to help educate attendees on the importance of registering their statewide EAS plans and assisted attendees with information to identify federal grants to upgrade existing systems.
Plans are underway for regional meetings and a follow-up summit next year.