FEMA EAS Test [Live Thread]

FEMA ^ | 11/9/11

[hoagy62]

Okay everyone...approaching 2:00pm Eastern...ready for the "Big EAS Test"?

[GeronL]

Just something to remember...the EAS, when used in ‘National Emergency’ mode, is in reality a last-ditch effort for the President to send a message to the American people. He would only use it IF there were no way for him to speak to the nation...that is, that he could not, for whatever reason, get his message out over regular channels.

How many of these TV and radio stations would still be around if "regular channels" aren't??

[FDNYRHEROES]

lol!!! It has been fun. Im having a brain fart, what is that radio show years ago that had the masses scared out of their mind thinking aliens were coming or something like that. Orson Wells???/

25 million aliens coming over the southern border....still laughing?

[FDNYRHEROES]

That was a MAJOR FAIL. The audio was garbled and unbearable.
I thought it was zombies.
FAIL

Lighten up, Laz...Even zombies have a bad day every now and then...

[rollo tomasi]

The test came on, hit the select button/enter on the cable box and immediately went back to the program my child was watching. I am not sure if there was a glitch, but the option skip the testing was rather convenient.

[FDNYRHEROES]

Yes, and I don’t see why they need to waste resources on this anyway, since the locals do this and do it pretty well. I don’t know what kind of emergency they need to do this for.

Why can't they just simplify the whole EAS/EBS process...in case of a national emergency, just say, "Hey everybody...Turn on FOX News"....

[DBrow]

“And as I noted, Congress has a Constitutional mandate to institute procedures for calling out all able-bodied citizens for national protection. “

I think the current procedures for calling out the citizenry are adequate. For instance, FedGov does not need to call out the citizens of Alaska when there is a Florida hurricane. What problem do you foresee that would be helped by a presidential mandate for the citizens to assemble and act? As far as I know, the last time such a command was given was during the War of 1812, when Congress was in retreat from Washington.

This system will be used for far more mundane things than national emergencies, I fear. I heard mention of Amber Alerts, which by their nature are large-local or at most cover a 3-state block.

Any truly national problem, like an asteroid strike or 900 incoming thermonuclear RVs, won’t be helped much by a warning system. “Everyone on the West Coast, you have 30 days to move to Ohio (if our projections are correct) so get going!” Any national emergency will be politicized, as well. Look at BioWatch- by the time a true biowar threat is identified and checked, tens of thousands will already be ill and that number rising, the delays mostly due to political risk management.

As for future emergencies, I have seen no analysis of the inadequacies of our current systems, just a push for a new centralized one.

[brytlea]

You know, the truth of the matter is, in this day and age, the BEST way to get info to people would be TV and radio. I don’t know why we need any of these broadcasts. Get the info out to the news stations, they will broadcast whatever information needs to be broadcast.

[Shadowstrike]

Glad to see I wasn’t the only one turning my off.

[Eyes Unclouded]

You might like http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090315/

[therightliveswithus]

One word: Fail! Seems 0bama has that down

[Einherjar]

We now must create a new Gummint Agency to ensure that this thing works in the future. UMMM and we will have to increase tax revenue to fund the new agency, and we will need hire a gazillion beauocrats to staff that agency. And of course they will need to recieve huge Bone-US checks for their talent.

[stevie_d_64]

Babies name(s) will be “Eas”

[kennvido]

Do you want this system to work?
You get the government out of it and you let some public industry handle it. It’s just that simple.
Thanks Mr. H. Truman for starting it, but you should have hired a private firm. It was flawed from the get go.
You don’t let let the Feds handle something you need to work correctly. Doesn’t anyone is D.C. realize this yet???The obvious answer is N0bama...

[Pete-R-Bilt]

Didn't you guys here the claxon?

I was in Ca., and it came over the air like this...

EAS

sounded great!

[tubebender]

I didn’t hear no stinkin test while listening to my RUSH Real Radio Head Phones this morning

[RedMDer]

[af_vet_rr]

Your point is well taken... besides a nuclear attack or Marshall Law... what else is there? An asteroid? The government would never let us know if we were going to be hit by an asteroid.

Actually the one time this system was very nearly activated was 9/11. However, the head of FEMA decided that by the time it was clear that it was a matter of national security, that the networks/media were doing as good of a job or better of getting the word out.

[kennvido]

Dam straight...
Now, if we get hit with the reality of an EMP device... it won’t matter if the EAS system works.