DHS Urged To Explore FM Alert System For Cell Phones
November 10, 2009 by Homeland Security NTARC News
Filed under Featured
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski are being urged by House members to explore the potential benefits of including FM radio tuners in mobile telephone handsets as part of a national alert system.
The letter notes that the Warning Alert and Response Network Act of 2006 authorized the mobile industry to create an emergency alert system and continues, “It is our understanding that incorporating FM radio tuners in mobile phones could help achieve this goal. Radio’s emergency alert system is a proven, reliable service.”
Hundreds of millions of cellphones worldwide have FM tuners, the lawmakers note, but only a handful of devices available in the U.S. market offer radios. They write, “There is no excuse for American consumers’ access to advanced technology to lag behind that available worldwide.”
The lawmakers say that, with EAS information available via mobile handsets through FM Radio, “Everyone involved, including the American public and public safety officials, as well as the mobile phone and broadcasting industries, stands to benefit.”
FCC Releases Report On Emergency Preparedness
September 8, 2009 by national
Filed under Emergency Preparedness
The FCC has released a report on its ability to respond in natural disasters, terrorist attacks, public health emergencies, and other events. The report, “FCC’s Preparedness for a Major Public Emergency,” was put together by the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau in response to a 30-day review launched by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
“The FCC has an important role to play in ensuring that our nation’s communications infrastructure serves our public safety needs,” Genachowski said. “The Public Safety Bureau’s thorough review concluded that the agency is ready to respond to emergencies, but there is more work to do to maximize the agency’s readiness. The public safety challenges we face are ongoing, dynamic, and growing. Today’s report outlines concrete steps the FCC can and will take to better support public safety communications and protect our nation.”
The report, while concluding that the FCC is prepared to keep essential communications open in an emergency, found that the commission could improve its planning and response in the areas of education and training, outreach and collaborations, emergency operations and alerts, and network analysis.
Recommendations include a plan for improving the Continuity of Operations and Pandemic plans, and reviews and revisions as needed for emergency procedures in the FCC’s 24/7 operations center. The EAS system is also being reviewed with other agencies to account for “next-generation technologies.”
