| Activation |
The
initiation of the EAS by transmission
of EAS codes. |
| Activation
Format |
The
specific format an EAS activator
should follow. The state activation format
is addressed on page 21 and Tab
16 of this Plan: the local activation
formats are detailed in the local
area operational plans outlined
in Tabs 12
and
13.
|
| Activator |
The
entity which initiates an EAS test
or alert. |
| ASCII
Code |
A
standard set of text characters
with numerical equivalents as defined
by the American Standard Code for
Information Interchange. |
| Attention
Signal |
Eight
to 25 seconds of two tones (853
Hz and 960 Hz) used as an audio
alert. |
| Authorization
Letter |
The
official authorization letter, given
by the FCC to Non-participating
National (NN) stations for a broadcast
station to go off the air during
a national level activation of the
EAS. |
| Automatic
Interruption |
The
automatic encoding and transmission
of EAS codes for pre-selected events.
|
| City/County
of License |
The
city or county listed on a broadcast
license as the station location. |
| Class
D FM |
A
station whose output is 10 watts
or less. |
| DBS |
Direct
Broadcast Satellite. A service intended to deliver
satellite signals directly to consumers
using small, relatively inexpensive
receive stations. |
| DEM |
Division/Department
of Emergency Management. |
| DES |
Division/Department
of Emergency Services. |
| EAN |
Emergency
Action Notification. A national level EAS alert. |
| EAN
Network |
The
interconnection of the federal government
with national networks and program
suppliers used to disseminate the
EAN message. |
| EAS |
Emergency
Alert System. EAS is comprised of broadcast
networks; cable networks and program
suppliers; AM, FM, and TV broadcast
stations; LPTV stations; cable systems;
and other entities and industries
operating on an organized basis
during emergencies at the National,
State, or local levels. It requires that at a minimum
all participants use a common EAS
protocol, as defined in FCC Rules
Part 11.31, to send and receive
emergency alerts. EAS replaced EBS [11.11]. |
| EAS
Alert |
An
EAS activation in an actual emergency. |
| EAS
Decoder |
A
device that monitors sources and
decodes incoming EAS messages.
|
| EAS
Encoder |
A
device used by EAS participants
to originate EAS alerts by creating
the EAS codes for transmission to
other participants and to the public.
|
| EAS
Test |
EAS
activation for testing purposes.
|
| EAT |
Emergency
Action Termination. The message for national
EAS termination. |
| EBS |
Emergency
Broadcast System. An outdated system for providing
emergency information to the public. It was replaced by EAS in January, 1997.
|
| End
of Message Code |
ASCII
data string which signifies the
end of an EAS message. |
| EOC |
Emergency
Operations Center. |
| Event
Code |
A
three-character ASCII code in the
EAS header that denotes the type
of event for which an EAS test or
alert is issued.
|
| FCC |
Federal
Communications Commission. One of three federal agencies
that participate in EAS. |
| FCC
Mapbook |
A
FCC document which organizes all
broadcast stations according to
their State, EAS Local Area, and
EAS designation [11.21c]. This list is attached to
the state plan by the FCC.
|
| FEMA |
Federal
Emergency Management Administration. One of three federal agencies
that participate in EAS. |
| FIPS
Codes |
Federal
Information Processing System number
assigned to states and counties. |
| Header
Code |
A
single string of intelligent ASCII
data that includes the originator,
event, location, time period, and
other basic information concerning
an EAS test or alert. |
| Julian
Calendar |
A
method of specifying the date by
the number of days which have passed
since the first day of January in
a year. |
| Key
Source |
A
source which is central to the dissemination
of emergency alerts and information,
such as an NP, SRN, LRN, or LP broadcast
station.
|
| LAECC |
Local
Area Emergency Communications Committee.
|
| Local
Area Plan |
The
plan developed by a committee in
each local operational area which
outlines the EAS system and procedures
for that particular area. The local area plan for the
appropriate operational area is
included in this State plan. (See
Tabs 12 and 13). |
| Local
Operational Area |
An
operational subdivision of the state. |
| Location
Code |
A
six-digit ASCII code in the EAS
header that specifies the location
of an emergency utilizing the five
character FIPS code of a state and
county, and a sixth character to
designate one of nine divisions
of a county. |
| LP |
Local
Primary. A key source within a local
area that is the primary source
of EAS programming for that local
area. |
| LPTV |
Low-power
television station.
|
| LRN |
Local
Relay Network. A system of facilities used
to distribute Local EAS activation
and programming throughout a local
area. |
| MDS
Station |
Multipoint
Distribution System station. A facility which delivers
a signal to several specific locations.
|
| Monitoring
Assignment |
The
assignment made by the SECC to each
broadcast station and cable
system
designating the sources each facility
should monitor for incoming
EAS messages.
|
| National
Alert |
EAS
alert of national origin.
|
| National
Control Point Procedures |
Those
national EAS procedures used only
by national networks and program
suppliers.
|
| NIC |
National
Information Center. A source of official federal
government information. |
| NN |
Non-participating
National station. A broadcast station that
has elected not
to
participate in the National-level
EAS and removes its carrier from
the air
if a national-level
activation occurs.
|
| NOAA |
National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One of three federal agencies
that participate in EAS. |
| NOAA
Weather Radio |
A
service of the National Weather
Service that provides continuous
broadcasts
of the latest weather information
and any weather-related emergency
warnings to a local area. NWR uses seven VHF radio
frequencies. |
| NP |
A
primary source of Presidential or
other national EAS activations and
programming, including broadcast
station involved with the PEP system
and EAN networks. |
| NWR |
NOAA
Weather Radio. |
| NWS |
National
Weather Service. NWS is an operation of NOAA
that is directly responsible for
issuing local weather-related emergency
alerts and warnings
in
addition to day-to-day forecasts
and other weather activities.
|
| Operational
Handbook |
A
document issued by the FCC that
instructs broadcast station and
cable personnel of the actions they
must take during an EAS activation. |
| Originator |
The
entity which originates an EAS alert. |
| Originator
Code |
A
three-character ASCII code in the
EAS header that identifies the entity
which originates an EAS test or
alert. |
| PEP |
Primary
Entry Point. Key broadcast stations throughout
the U.S. which together can provide
national emergency information in
the event that the primary national
alerting methods are inoperable. |
| PN |
Participating
National. Broadcast stations, cable
systems or MDS stations which monitor
primary sources of EAS programming
and directly feed emergency alerts
to the public. |
| Pre-Selected
Code |
An
EAS event which the operator of
EAS equipment has chosen to be automatically
encoded and retransmitted upon reception.
|
| Program
Priorities |
The
precedence of the information that
must be transmitted during an EAS
activation, namely national, local,
and state activations in that order. |
| Protocol |
A
standard set of guidelines by which
digital information is encoded and
decoded, including the common code
structure, the character set used,
the sequence and timing of codes,
and modulation technique used for
radio transmission. |
| Re-Transmission Agreement |
Signed
agreements between the SECC and
certain broadcast (LP) stations
that define what the station will
monitor and what types of activations
will be re-transmitted. |
| RMT |
Required
Monthly Test. A coordinated monthly test
of EAS operations involving the
full receiving and transmission
of EAS codes, attention signal,
EAS test programming, and EAS end-of-message
codes. |
| RWT |
Required
Weekly Test. An independent weekly test
of EAS equipment only involving
the decoding and encoding of EAS
header codes and end-of-message
codes. |
| SAME |
Specified
Area Message Encoder. |
| SECC |
State
Emergency Communications Committee. |
| Sources |
Monitor
inputs to EAS decoders. |
| SP |
State
Primary. A primary source of EAS state
programming which can originate
with a Governor or designated representative,
such as a state’s emergency operations
officer.
|
| SR |
State
Relay radio system on 155.475 Mhz. An entity which receives
and retransmits EAS activations
in the State Relay Network to assist
in bringing a state activation to
all Local Areas of a state. |
| SRN |
State
Relay Network. A system of facilities used
to distribute state EAS activations
and programming across the state. |
| State
EAS Plan |
This
document, which outlines the organization
and implementation of EAS I Washington
State. It includes monitoring assignments,
actions to be taken in emergency
activations, and other guidance
for broadcasters and cable personnel
in use of the EAS. |
| State/Local
Alert |
EAS
alert of state or local origin. |
| Termination
Script |
Specific
scripts, specified in the State
Plan (for local and state EAS activations),
which signal the end of an EAS activation. |
| Test
Script |
The
audio portion of the RMT. The actual wording to the
test script is decided upon by the
SECC and included in the state plan. |
| Time-Duration
Code |
A
four-digit ASCII code in the EAS
header that defines how long the
EAS activation is valid. |
| Translator |
A
radio or television facility which
receives a signal on one frequency
and transmits it on another frequency. |
| UTC |
Coordinated
Universal Time. The world-wide common time
standard that is used in EAS headers
for time stamp. |
| Valid
Code |
An
EAS header which has been matched
bit-for-bit with one of two other
received headers thereby checked
for validity. |
| WRSAME |
Weather
Radio Specific Area Message Encoder. A device used by the NWS
to broadcast data on the NWR system
for day-to-day forecasts and weather-related
emergency announcements. |
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