NEVADA EAS

The FCC’s Second Report and Order on EAS has now been published in the National Register and that means it’s time for you to comment on the proposal. The deadline for comments is Dec. 3rd and the agency has stated that they want to hear from broadcasters.

Please read the R and O on this web site and if you are concerned about the cost of buying new equipment or whether the industry will be able to supply the equipment by the deadline or if the proposal will bring the improvements you would like to see in EAS, or any other aspect of the proposal, please submit those comments to the FCC.

Comments may be filed electronically, by fax or by mail. All comments should refer to the Report and Order as “EB Docket No. 04-296.” There are detailed instructions for filing comments in the Report and Order on the NBA website, or on the FCC’s website at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-109A1.doc.

In addition, the Society of Broadcast Engineers will be polling members for their comments and concerns to present and in-depth response to the FCC. Members should check the SBE website, www.sbe.org <http://www.sbe.org/> for more information. The R and O will be discussed during the February ‘08 National EAS Summit in Washington DC.

May 26, 2005

The Nevada State Emergency Communications Committee has announced new Local Primary station assignments for two regions covered by the Nevada Emergency Alert System Operational Area Plan. Radio and television broadcasters and cable operators in the Southern Nevada/Inyo County, California Operational Area and the Eastern Nevada Operational area will have to change their EAS equipment to monitor the new Local Primary stations.

The new Local Primary stations for Southern Nevada are:
• LP-1 KXTE 107.5 MHz
• LP-2 KNPR 88.9 MHz
• NWS
• Backup Local Primary KBAD 920 kHz/KENO 1460 kHz

The new Local Primary stations for Eastern Nevada are:
• LP-1 KRJC
• LP-2 KELK
• NWS

KDSS is no longer the Local Primary 1 station for the Ely sub-region. The KNPR translator at 88.7 MHz remains the Local Primary 2 station for the Ely sub-region. Ely broadcasters and cable operators must still monitor the National Weather Service and conduct their Required Monthly Tests and Required Weekly Tests as required by the Eastern Nevada Operational Area EAS Plan and FCC Part 11.

The Western Nevada/Eastern California Local Primary stations remain the same.
• LP-1 KKOH 780 kHz
• LP-2 K UNR 88.7 MHz
• NWS

The Winnemucca sub-region Local Primary stations remain the same:
• LP-1 KWNA 1400 kHz
• LP-2 K UNR 91.3 MHz
• NWS

These changes take effect on June 1, 2005 .

The Nevada EAS plans were submitted to the FCC in late 1996 and were approved in December of 1996. According to the FCC, Nevada was one of three states to meet the established January 1, 1997 deadline. The plans were revised in 2003 to reflect developments after September 11,  2001; and the new statewide AMBER Alert. 

Through the NBA, we have a VERY extensive EAS training program. In June of last year, we began a process of re-training the staff at almost every radio and television station and cable operator covered by the plan. And while many states have some kind of program for the broadcasters, we took it a step further -- we have also trained many of the federal state and local emergency officials who would need to use EAS. And it's an on-going process.

HEALTH WORKERS RECEIVE EAS TRAINING

Public health workers are the latest group of emergency responders to learn about the Emergency Alert System. In late October, State EAS Chair Adrienne Abbott presented an EAS training class for eighteen employees of various state and county public health agencies who respond to hazardous materials incidents and epidemiological reports and monitor the safety of municipal water and sewer systems. They learned the four steps to determine if there is a need for an EAS activation as well as the process of contacting the Local Primary station and the importance of follow-up information after the activation. After the class, several attendees thought the information was so critical to their agencies that they requested another presentation for their co-workers.