[KYHAM] New Alert Codes for NOAA
Ron Dodson
[email protected]
Thu, 11 Mar 2004 10:34:25 -0500
NWS Implementing New NOAA Weather Radio Warning Event Codes on
June 30, 2004
Beginning June 30, 2004, NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) Specific Area
Message Encoding/Emergency Alert System (SAME/EAS) event warning
codes will be available nationally for a variety of non-weather
events.
The new codes will allow NWR users to program desired alert
messages on subjects ranging from child abduction emergencies,
local area emergencies, fire warnings, and hazardous material
warnings, to radiological or nuclear power plant warnings,
shelter-in-place warnings, or volcano warnings.
The NWS is currently upgrading existing warning-generation
software and weather radio formatters to handle the new codes.
The NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services (OCWWS)
issued a Service Change Notice regarding this on March
5, 2004.
NWR is the primary means for NWS alerts to Activate the Emergency
Alert System. EAS event codes are equivalent to SAME codes used
by SAME-capable NWR receivers to allow listeners to program
desired alert messages. Local or state civil authorities prepare
the non-weather related EAS messages, which may be relayed by the
NWS over NOAA Weather Radio and the EAS at the request of the
message issuer. The NWS does not initiate non-weather related EAS
messages.
The event code changes were dictated by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), which makes the rules concerning
EAS, in a Report and Order amending the EAS rules on February 26,
2002. The NWS waited to implement the new EAS event and SAME
codes and marine location codes primarily to allow EAS equipment
manufacturers time to upgrade their products to accommodate the
new codes, and to allow broadcasters time to upgrade their EAS
equipment, according to Herb White, NWS Headquarters
Dissemination Services Manager, OCWWS.
If new event codes cannot be added to existing NWR receivers, the
codes may be displayed as unknown warning or similar message when
they are transmitted over NOAA Weather Radio. White said owners
of such non-upgradable radios who wish to receive the new codes
would have to purchase a newer model radio receiver.
Owners should check the documentation that came with their
receiver, or contact the manufacturer (via telephone or Internet)
to see if the new event codes are already programmed into the
receiver, or if they can be added in manually.
The Consumer Electronics Association, an industry group
representing designers, developers, and manufacturers of consumer
electronics equipment, recently developed a new voluntary
standard, which defines minimum performance criteria for consumer
electronics products designed to receive digital alert signals
broadcast by NOAA Weather Radio and Environment Canada's
Weatheradio� Network. The performance criteria
include the ability to receive and properly decode all the new
EAS event codes.
A range of compliant products will soon be available to the
American public. Consumers looking to either upgrade their
current NOAA Weather Radio receiver or to purchase a new one
should look for them later this spring. Look for the Consumer
Electronics Association's new Public Alert
designation that will appear on devices carrying public safety
alerts broadcast over the all-hazard NOAA Weather Radio system
and the Environment Canada Weatheradio� Network.
We recommend customers program their desired new SAME/EAS event
codes before June 30, 2004, so the change will be transparent on
the effective date, White said.
A complete list of the current and new EAS/SAME codes to be
implemented on June 30, 2004, is available online at
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/eas_codes.htm.
Additional information on the emergency alert system is available
online at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/nws_eas.htm and
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/eas/.