Emergency Alert Service Summit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, March 30, 2009
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, delivered the following prepared remarks for the 5th Annual 2009 EAS Summit entitled "Keeping America Safe: Broadcasters Roadmap for the Future":
“With the 2009 hurricane season just around the corner and the expected intensity of tornadoes around the country, enhancing the reliability, resilience, and accuracy of emergency alerts to the American public is of the upmost importance to my Committee and the Nation at large.
For over 50 years, the President has had the ability to communicate with the public during national emergencies through radio or television broadcasts or sirens.
However, today’s most common mode of communication is by cell phone with nearly 260 million Americans who currently subscribe to wireless services nationwide.
It is clear that we all heavily depend on cell phones and blackberries for business, pleasure and most importantly, during times of emergency.
That is why the Emergency Alert System (EAS) must be modernized to leverage next generation technologies – like cell phones and other mobile devices to provide critical life-saving information to communities and individuals in the event of a natural, man-made disaster, or terrorist incident.
To this end, as Chairman, my Committee has held numerous hearings examining various systems and methods aimed at improving the Nation’s emergency communications infrastructure planning, resources, and coordination efforts of the Department of Homeland Security.
We have worked diligently with FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), NOAA, State, local and Tribal governments, as well as the private sector to address the coordination challenges to the emergency alert system.
In fact, through the oversight of my Committee, we compelled the Federal agencies responsible under the WARN Act and Executive Order 13407 to take ownership of the establishment of technical standards for the capability to send nationwide emergency alerts by text message to cell phones and other mobile devices during a crisis.
I applaud FEMA for taking the necessary steps to further develop the nation’s alert and warning system through the Integrated Public Warning and Alerts System or “I-PAWS.” However, I worry that progress has been slow in making the system a reality.
As we all know, alerts and warnings are –first and foremost—the responsibility of State and local governments.
We must ensure that any national system that is implemented allows decision-makers at the State and local level to access it.
As the Congress and the Obama Administration gains steam, I look forward to working with Secretary Napolitano as well as State and local governments, and the small business community to ensure broad-based coordination on developing leading edge technology to improve, expand, and integrate existing warning systems.
We are in the business of saving lives. Let’s work together and share best-practices to ensure the modernization of an emergency alert system that is ready, reliable, and redundant to better prepare and protect Americans before and during a disaster.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Dena Graziano or Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978
