PIAC Legacy Project: Disaster Warnings in the Digital Age

Recommendation 7: Disaster Warnings in the Digital Age

Recommendation:
Broadcasters should work with appropriate emergency communications specialists and manufacturers to determine the most effective means to transmit disaster warning information. The means chosen should be minimally intrusive on bandwidth and not result in undue additional burdens or costs on broadcasters. Appropriate regulatory authorities should also work with manufacturers of digital television sets to make sure that they are modified to handle these kinds of transmissions.

Broadcasters have always taken seriously their fundamental public interest responsibility to warn viewers about impending natural disasters and to keep them informed about disaster-related events. Digital technology will provide many new and innovative ways to transmit warnings to people at risk, including ways to warn individuals who have hearing and vision disabilities, and even to pinpoint specific households or neighborhoods at risk. According to the US Geological Survey’s Working Group on Natural Disaster Information Systems,(12) most of these innovations will require minimal use of the 6 megahertz bandwidth available to digital broadcasters. Broadcasters should work with appropriate emergency communications specialists and manufacturers to determine the most effective means to transmit important information that will be minimally intrusive on bandwidth and not result in undue additional burdens or costs on broadcasters.

The Advisory Committee also recommends that the appropriate regulatory authorities work with manufacturers of digital television sets to make sure that they are modified appropriately to handle these kinds of transmissions, to avoid the excess costs of retrofitting.

Endnote

12) The Working Group is an interagency body that evaluates and fosters ways to integrate public and private resources and infrastructure as it relates to natural disasters. It attempts to ensure that accurate and timely technical information about natural disasters is available instantly to everyone who can take action to save lives, reduce damage, and enhance response and recovery. Pursuant to FCC rules, the Federal Emergency Alert System (EAS) is designed to disseminate local, regional, and Federal information using radio, television and cable channels. 47 C.F.R. Part 11.

On to Recommendation 8