With Sept. 28 approaching, communications law firm Pillsbury has published “Nationwide EAS Test Comes With a ‘To Do’ List for Broadcasters and Other EAS Participants” on its CommLawCenter blog. Authors Lauren Lynch Flick and Joseph A. Cohen remind broadcasters of the requirements and their duties before and after the test.
Flick and Cohen note that all EAS participants must file three forms related to the test, including one with a rapidly approaching deadline of Aug. 26, “Form One.” They also urge those who have registered already to check out their entries since there have been some tweaks to the ETRS system.
“Form Two,” they point out has to be completed immediately after the test, not merely 24 hours afterward. In addition there are a few new EAS codes to remember.
Flick and Cohen remind readers that the EAS procedure is to be taken very seriously. “While August is often a slow time for many, the increasing number of terrorist attacks around the globe has put the federal government on a fast track for ensuring the functionality of EAS in an emergency. That urgency is now being relayed to broadcasters and other EAS participants who are at the front lines of the effort to quickly notify the public of emergency information. For those charged with maintaining and operating EAS equipment, the next two months will be busy ones.”
Read the whole piece.
