Authorities will do another EAN test in Alaska next Wednesday, Radio World has learned.
FEMA, the state of Alaska and the Alaska Broadcasters Association expect to activate the Emergency Action Notification event code, a federal level alert, as part of a statewide test of the national Emergency Alert System. The test is slated for Jan. 26.
This is the second such test of existing EAS in Alaska, chosen as site for the exercises because of its isolation from the lower 48 states.
Planners said the test EAN will be issued from the FEMA Operations Center in Washington at 10 a.m. Alaska Standard Time, which is 2 p.m. Eastern. The first Alaska EAS test was held in January of last year.
“This is a re-test of the national EAS within the state of Alaska. We are looking to see if the steps taken to improve and correct several things we observed from the first test will work, including improved audio quality,” said Manny Centeno, program manager for FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
Centeno said FEMA plans to include CAP and next-generation alerting technologies in future IPAWS tests and exercises.
Recurring radio and television public service announcements began airing earlier this month to inform Alaskans of the test. Alaskan broadcasters have been “incredibly supportive” of FEMA’s efforts, Centeno said.
— Randy J. Stine
Related:
“Alaska Convention Features FEMA EAS Workshop”
