Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan
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Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Prepared by the Delaware State Emergency Communications Committee As prepared at the October 18, 2019 Annual Meeting. 2020 DE State EAS Plan submitted for FCC Approval on 01/31/2020 Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 2 As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 3 CONTENTS 2020 EAS Plan Overview pg 4 SECC Committee Members pg 4 SECC Governance Requirements of the FCC pg 5 Alert Origination pg 6 Designated Authorities for EAS Activations pg 6 Delaware EAS Event Codes with Recommendations of SECC pg 7-8 Delaware EAS Operational Areas pg 9 Monitoring Assignments – Table 1 0f 3 (Formerly LP Matrix) pg 10 Monitoring Assignments – Tables 2 of 3 – Participating Nationals By Operational Area (Alphabetically) – pg 11-14 Table 2a – Kent County pg 11 Table 2b – New Castle County pg 12 Table 2c – Sussex County pg 13-14 Monitoring Assignments – Table 3 of 3 – Exceptions to the Monitoring Assignments pg 15 Monitoring Assignments – Alphabetical Listing pg 16-18 Alerting Procedures – Rules for EAS Activation pg 19-24 Monitoring NWS Alerts and NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) Locations pg 20 EMnet Emergency Messaging Network pg 20 Amber Alert Plan Rules pg 21-23 Code Blue Alert Rules pg 24 Alerting Procedures – EAS Testing Rules pg 25 Reporting and Resolving EAS Issues pg 25 Handling Errors with EAS and Remembering to Report False EAS Alerts pg 26 Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)/IPAWS pg 27 Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) pg 27 Multilingual Alerting Information pg 28 Local Area Plans pg 29 Signatures pg 30 As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 4 OVERVIEW The Emergency Alert System (EAS) provides the President with the capability to relay immediate communications and information to the general public at the national, state, and local area levels during periods of national emergency. The EAS may be used to provide the heads of state and local government, or their designated representative, with a means of emergency communication to the public in their state or local area via electronic media. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has published information on the EAS in several handbooks for radio, television and cable operators. They are available at the FCC’s website, https://www.fcc.gov/general/emergency-alert-system-eas-0 . This is the Emergency Alert System Plan for the State of Delaware. This plan is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated document that provides guidelines for Delaware broadcasters, cable television operators, and other EAS participants (as provided by 47 CFR Sec. 11.2), as well as designated government officials, to relay emergency information and instructions throughout the state. This plan is an adjunct to the FCC EAS Rules and is not meant to be a substitute. Part 11 of the FCC Rules contain the general rules regarding the Emergency Alert System. This plan was developed by the Delaware State Emergency Communications Committee (DE SECC). Our SECC Committee - Officers Walt Palmer, Chair Resort Broadcasting Co. LLC - WGMD [email protected] Walt Barcus, Vice Chair Draper Broadcasting – WRDE-LD31 [email protected] Ken Evans, Secretary Marquee Broadcasting – WMDT-TV47 [email protected] Jeff Sands, DEMA Rep Delaware Emergency Management Agency [email protected] (DEMA) Representatives – Radio Representative: Walt Palmer Television Representative: Walt Barcus Cable Representative: Multilingual Broadcast Representative: (to be added when recruited) PBS/NPR Representative: Thomas Terry NPR/WDDE Wireless Representative (Associated Honorary): Jackie Donahue (Verizon Wireless) State Police (Amber) Rep: Sgt. Richard Bratz NWS Representatives: Joe Miketta or Raymond Kruzdlo Ombudsman: J. J. Farnan As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 5 Governance Requirements of the FCC – (1) What are your SECC's duties and responsibilities? Recruit volunteers for the committee, track rule changes and FCC recommendations and requirements on EAS, discuss and work with setting up the best Local Primary stations so we have a working daisy chain to distribute EAS messages throughout the state, and work out a plan everyone can use to guide them in the dissemination of emergency messages to the public in their area. The SECC members also help EAS participants with EAS problems being experienced. The committee will also contact EAS participants about information they need to know, and provide notices of meetings. (2) How are the SECC Members and leaders selected? Do your SECC's members represent all alert originators in your state? Members may volunteer to help, and/or are nominated, and are selected by a vote at the annual meeting. The committee members are elected and choose a chairperson to recommend to the FCC. The Delaware SECC represent all EAS participants and include all alert originators in the state. (3) What is your SECC's administrative structure? (e.g., How are decisions made in your SECC?) The Delaware State Emergency Communications Committee (DE SECC) has approved a set of Bylaws and follows those rules in making decisions for the Delaware State EAS Plan. The structure is: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson(s), Secretary, Emergency Management Representative. A copy of the bylaws can be obtained by contacting the DE SECC Chairperson. As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 6 PLAN SUMMARY This Delaware EAS statewide plan contains basic operational procedures for national, state, and local activations, the EAS Monitoring Matrix, testing procedures, and script samples that may be used by stations. Alert Origination – List all authorized entities participating in the State or Local Area EAS. DEMA DESIGNATED APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR EAS ACTIVATIONS SCHALL, A. J. Jr., Director Email: a.j.schall@ delaware.gov MURTHA, Christopher, Deputy Director Email: christopher.murtha@ delaware.gov PFLAUMER, Robert, Acting Operations Officer / Duty Officer Email: robert.pflaumer@ delaware.gov LEE, Edward (Tony) Principal Planner / Duty Officer Email: edward.lee@ delaware.gov As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 7 Delaware Event Codes You may enter all of the header codes used by your state to transmit emergency messages via the EAS through key EAS sources (e.g., NP, SP, SR, and LP). EAS Event Explanation of Header Codes and Messages Event Action level Action Required Codes EAN Emergency Action Notification – Presidential Alert MANDATORY Immediate NPT National Periodic Test MANDATORY Immediate RMT Required Monthly Test MANDATORY Within 1 hour Log received. RWT Required Weekly Test MANDATORY Originate 1 weekly. NIC National Information Center MANDATORY Not used so far BLU Blue Alert RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP CAE Child Abduction Emergency (Child Amber Alert) RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP CDW Civil Danger Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP CEM Civil Emergency Message RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP EQW Earthquake Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP EVI Immediate Evacuation RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP EWW Extreme Wind Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP FFW Flash Flood Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP FLW Flood Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP FRW Fire Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP HUW Hurricane Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP HWW High Wind Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP NUW Nuclear Power Plant Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP RHW Radiological Hazard Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP SPW Shelter in Place Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP SSW Storm Surge Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP TOE 911 Telephone Outage RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP TOR Tornado Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP TSW Tsunami Warning RECOMMENDED Immediate or ASAP ADR Administrative Message Optional Do Not Broadcast BZW Blizzard Warning Optional CFW Coastal Flood Warning Optional FFA Flash Flood Watch Optional FFS Flash Flood Statement Optional FLA Flood Watch Optional HMW Hazardous Materials Warning Optional HLS Hurricane Statement Optional HUA Hurricane Watch Optional HWA High Wind Watch Optional LEW Law Enforcement Warning Optional NMN Network Message Notification Unknown As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 8 DMO Practice/Demo Warning Optional SMW Special Marine Warning Optional SPS Special Weather Statement Optional SSA Storm Surge Watch Optional SVA Severe Thunderstorm Watch Optional SVR Severe Thunderstorm Warning Optional SVS Severe Weather Statement Optional TOA Tornado Watch Optional TRA Tropical Storm Watch Optional TRW Tropical Storm Warning Optional TSA Tsunami Watch Optional WSA Winter Storm Watch Optional WSW Winter Storm Warning Optional Avalanche Warning and Volcano Warning, not shown. Not valid in Delaware. As submitted for FCC Approval Delaware Emergency Alert System Plan 2020 Page 9 Delaware EAS Operational Areas – OA, OA FIPS-Zip, OA Coordinates, OA Counties, Comments EAS LOCATION (FIPS) CODES (with subdivision numbers shown below) Operational Areas FIPS OA Zip Codes/Location OA Border Comments (Including Code (Future use for quick localized warnings.*) Coordinates County Names) National 000000 https://www.zipcodestogo.com/Delaware/ State of Delaware 010000 All Below 19701 Bear 19739 Townsend New Castle County 010003 19702 Newark 19735 Winterthur 19703 Claymont 19736 Yorklyn 19706 Delaware City 19801 Wilmington 19707 Hockessin 19802 Wilmington 19708 Kirkwood 19803 Wilmington 19709 Middletown