The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has embarked on a major effort to reexamine the national alert and warning systems, including the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced in July plans for a fundamental reexamination of existing alerting systems and the agency voted to officially go forward with the idea during its August Open Meeting.

The Emergency Alert System provides emergency alerts to the public via radio, television, satellite, and cable systems, while the Wireless Emergency Alerts provide emergency alerts to supported mobile devices. The FCC said the action will explore whether fundamental changes to these systems could make them more effective, efficient, and better able to serve the public’s needs.

More specifically, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will:

• Seek comment on the objectives for effective alert and warning systems.

• Explore which entities need to be able to send alerts to fully accomplish these objectives and how these needs should be addressed in the design of alerting systems.

• Consider the alert transmission capabilities that a national public alert and warning system must have to achieve its objectives, including the need for resilience, geographic targeting, and security.

• Ask whether EAS and WEA are meeting the needs and expectations of both the public and alerting authorities, and if not, whether redesign or targeted changes would allow EAS and WEA to fully reach their potential.

• Examine both the types of information and distribution methods needed to effectively convey information to the public through EAS and WEA.

Read the full release here.