Barnett Says Wireless Supporting Mobile Emergency Alerts Without Mandate

The wireless industry has “stepped up to the plate” and 95 percent of wireless subscribers are already covered, said FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett. Barnett expects market forces to push carriers to cover the remaining 5 percent, but the FCC will monitor the situation, he said. CTIA estimates that 97 percent of subscribers are covered, and believes the figure will go up as carriers learn more about the technology, said CTIA Vice President Chris Guttman-McCabe. However, Richardson requested that the FCC come up with a plan now in case carriers don’t finish the job. “What we don’t want to do is wait six months or a year and then we find out that various areas might be particularly vulnerable,” she said. Rural areas are often left behind, she added.

Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., raised privacy concerns about the wireless alert system since it targets users in specific locations. But Barnett said the technology does not allow “tracking or monitoring” of cellphone users. He compared the system to a “portable radio.” Message senders do not know who is getting the message; all they know is that the receivers are in the danger zone, Barnett said. Carriers will not know who specifically is receiving messages, Guttman-McCabe concurred. Privacy rules already governing the wireless industry will further ensure that consumers are protected, he said.

Bilirakis urged training for operators sending text alerts so as to avoid “message saturation” that could result in some users ignoring the alerts. Washington’s AlertDC, for example, sends out alerts that are not always emergencies, Bilirakis said. Damon Penn, FEMA assistant administrator of National Continuity Programs, agreed more education is needed. “The next major step for us is training and certification of message originators,” Penn said. FEMA is developing a Web-based program that includes best practices and a “clear definition” of what constitutes an imminent threat and the intent of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), Penn said. FEMA will have the power to police the alert system and remove message senders who are not following the guidelines, he added.

There must be better training for alert senders on both mobile text and broadcast systems, said wireless and broadcast industry witnesses. “If consumers receive confusing or unnecessary alerts, then even the best alerting system will ultimately fail,” said Guttman-McCabe. Training for state and local public safety officials on how to use the broadcast Emergency Alert System is “desperately needed,” said Suzanne Goucher, president of the Maine Association of Broadcasters. “The knowledge and expertise of local authorities on how and when to deploy EAS is currently at what we consider an unacceptable level.” Web training announced by FEMA is a “good first step” but there needs to be incentives for message senders to get certified, Goucher said.

Bilirakis and Richardson also raised concerns about access to alerts for people with disabilities. Penn said the major problem is that consumer devices to receive messages are not affordable. For example, one device that converts broadcast audio to text and Braille costs $5,000, he said.

A rulemaking on next-generation 911 is “very high on the [FCC] chairman’s list,” and commissioners will likely take it up “significantly before” year-end, Barnett said. Funding from Congress could help speed the transition to NG911, Barnett said. NG911 would allow Public Safety Answering Points to accept text, picture and video messages, but only about half of PSAPs currently have broadband connections needed for the capability, Barnett said. Training for PSAP operators is also needed, he said. The FCC is developing a cost model to determine how much money it will take, he said.

Richardson fears budget cuts proposed for FEMA and grant programs will hurt IPAWS. “The increased intensity of national disasters combined with our need for continued readiness for potential terrorist attacks requires investments and not cuts to our state and local partners,” she said. But Penn said FEMA has “adequate funds” to complete IPAWS programs scheduled for 2012.

It costs broadcasters $2,000 to $3,000 to replace EAS equipment so they can support the Common Alerting Protocol by Sept. 30 as required, Goucher said. Broadcasters will find the money because broadcast alerts are “core to our mission,” she said. But states are cutting budgets and reluctant to pay for equipment, she said. FEMA should add EAS to its guidance for grants so states spend the money without hesitation, she said.