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Emergency Alert & Notification Systems

Though the Emergency Alert System has never been activated at a national level, we've all heard it being used by local officials. These alerts can be in reference to dangerous weather, missing children (Amber Alerts) and a multitude of other reasons.

  1. History

    • The Emergency Alert System has been around in different forms since 1963. The earlier versions, including the Emergency Broadcast System, were formed to ensure there was a method of communication that could reach the entire nation if an emergency of vast proportions occurred.

    Requirements

    • The Emergency Alert System requires broadcasters, cable television networks, satellite digital audio services, and direct broadcast satellites to implement the communications needed to participate. The FCC is responsible for monitoring these entities to ensure their compliance.

    Accessibility

    • The president is the only person with the authority to decide when to use the system, although the responsibility has been delegated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director. FEMA is also responsible for conducting test announcements that simulate what would occur in a real emergency.

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