STATE
OF WASHINGTON
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
WASHINGTON STATE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE BYLAWS
Approved by the SECC
September 10, 2008
ARTICLE I – NAME
1.1 The name of this organization is the Washington State Emergency
Communications Committee (SECC).
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
2.1 To establish, maintain and among the use of the Washington State Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the Washington EAS State Plan, and to ensure the compatibility of Local EAS Plans with the State EAS Plan;
2.2 To coordinate EAS efforts between key EAS partners, including broadcasters, cable companies, the Washington State Emergency Management Division, NOAA/National Weather Service, FEMA, FCC, other States’ Emergency Alert Systems and other present and future EAS participants;
2.3 To establish and maintain coordinated testing schedules.
ARTICLE III – AUTHORITY
3.1 The FCC in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Part 11.21, requires each state to have a State Plan. These must be reviewed by the FCC, and implies the existence of an associated state organization.
3.2 The FCC, in Part 11.61 (a)(1), requires the State Emergency Communications
Committee to establish times and scripts for the Required Monthly Tests in cooperation with effected parties.
3.3 The State Plan, developed by the SECC, shall be approved and signed by the following parties – The Governor of the State of Washington and representatives from: Radio Broadcasting, Television Broadcasting, The State Association of Broadcasters, The Cable Television Industry, FEMA, FCC, Washington State Emergency Management Division and the NOAA/National Weather Service.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
4.1 Membership of the SECC shall consist of representatives of the entities or organizations described in Section 3.3. The membership of the SECC shall also include the Chairs of each Local Emergency Communications Committee (LECC) as well as others who are appointed by the SECC as full participants in the process.
4.2 The LECCs are sub-committees of the SECC.
4.3 Other interested local and state governmental agencies, businesses, or organizations may fully participate in the process without a vote. These participants may be appointed to Committees by the Chair of the SECC.
ARTICLE V – ELECTION OF A CHAIR AND MEMBERS
5.1 Officers must be selected from the participants described in Articles III and IV
5.2 The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected by the members described in Articles III and IV.
5.3 No compensation shall be paid to any officer.
5.4 An Officer may resign by submitting his or her resignation, in writing, to the SECC.
5.5 Officers are subject to removal by a vote of the members of the SECC as provided in Section 7.1.
5.6 The Chair shall be the principle executive officer of the SECC and shall in general supervise and control the business and affairs of the SECC. He or she shall preside at all meetings. He or she may sign may sign any contract, or other instruments which the SECC has authorized to be executed.
5.7 The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.
5.8 The SECC Chair, with the concurrence of the SECC, shall appoint a Recording Secretary who shall record a summary of all SECC Meetings and post them on
the State EAS Remailer.
ARTICLE VI – STANDING COMMITTEES
6.1 The Executive Committee shall consist of the designated representative from Radio Broadcasting, Television Broadcasting, The State Association of Broadcasters, The Cable Television Industry, FEMA, FCC, Washington State Emergency Management Division and the NOAA/National Weather Service. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to determine SECC policies when a consensus of the SECC members cannot be reached.
6.2 The SECC shall maintain the following standing sub-committees – Technical, Test-Coordination.
6.3 The SECC Chair, with the concurrence of the SECC, may appoint such permanent or ad hoc sub- committees as necessary to better facilitate the business of the Committee.
ARTICLE VII – DECISION PROCESS
7.1 Decisions will be by a majority of the SECC Members present, except that modifications of the Bylaws will require a two-thirds majority.
7.2 Each member of the SECC as described in Section 4.1 shall have one vote.
7.3 Twenty-five percent (25%) of the membership of the SECC shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business by the SECC at any meeting, whether in attendance in-person or by conference call. However, notwithstanding the presence or absence of a quorum at any time during an SECC meeting, the Chair, where attendance and/or participation is minimal, and with the concurrence of the SECC members present, may elect to defer decisions until the next scheduled SECC meeting.
ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS
8.1 The SECC shall hold meetings approximately every 60 days, unless otherwise determined by the SECC.
8.2 Meeting notification shall be a least 30 days prior to the event.
8.3 Meeting notification shall be via the Washington State EAS Remailer.
8.4 The date, time and location of meetings shall be determined by the SECC.
ARTICLE IX – COMMUNICATIONS
9.1 The SECC shall maintain an email communications system that shall be open to everyone in the state having an interest in the EAS.
9.2 This email system, commonly referred to as a Remailer or List Server shall be the official method of communications between all parties involved in EAS in Washington State.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
10.1 Any proposed amendment to these By-Laws must be distributed, via the State EAS Remailer, at least 30 days prior to the meeting in which the amendment(s) will be considered for adoption.
10.2 Amendments to these Bylaws shall be made by a two-thirds majority vote of the
SECC members.
10.3 The SECC Bylaws will be reviewed at least every two years or more frequently as determined by the SECC.
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