US Nationwide Test of The Emergency Alert System to be held on November 9, 2011

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The nationwide test will occur on Wednesday, November 9 at 2 p.m. eastern standard time and may last up to three and a half minutes.

November 9, 2011 is the day that Asteroid 2005YU55  flyby closest to the Earth, in distance closer than the Moon or 0.8 LD (Lunar distance). It’s follows the tail of Comet Elenin. It is not perfect day for testing the equipment – or is it?

The EAS is a national alert and warning system established to enable the President of the United States to address the American public during emergencies.  NOAA’s National Weather Service, governors and state and local emergency authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts.

Similar to local EAS tests that are already conducted frequently, the nationwide test will involve broadcast radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline video service providers across all states and the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

On November 9, the public will hear a message indicating that “This is a test.” The audio message will be the same for both radio and television. Under the FCC’s rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wireline video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential EAS messages to the public. A national test will help the federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally.

“A national test of our Emergency Alert System, with the vital communications support and involvement of participants, is a step towards ensuring that the alert and warning community is prepared to deliver critical information that can help save lives and protect property,” said Damon Penn, FEMA’s Assistant Administrator of National Continuity Programs. “Because there has never been an activation of the Emergency Alert System on a national level, FEMA views this test as an excellent opportunity to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system.  It is important to remember that this is not a pass or fail test, but a chance to establish a baseline for making incremental improvements to the Emergency Alert System with ongoing and future testing.  It is also important to remember that the Emergency Alert System is one of many tools in our communications toolbox, and we will continue to work on additional channels that can be a lifeline of information for people during an emergency.“

Over the past two years and as part of ongoing national preparedness planning efforts, FEMA, the FCC and other federal partners, state, local, tribal and territorial governments, Emergency Alert System participants and other stakeholders have been working toward making this test a reality.

“The upcoming national test is critical to ensuring that the EAS works as designed,” said Jamie Barnett, Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.  “As recent disasters here at home and in Japan have reminded us, a reliable and effective emergency alert and warning system is key to ensuring the public’s safety during times of emergency.  We look forward to working with FEMA in preparation for this important test.“

As the federal, state, tribal, territorial and local governments prepare for and test their capabilities, this event serves as a reminder that everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit and emergency plan for themselves, their families, communities, and businesses.  Anyone can visit www.Ready.gov for more information about how to prepare for and stay informed about what to do in the event of an actual emergency.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

One of the nation’s largest suppliers of dehydrated food has cut loose 99% of their dealers and distributors. And it’s not because of the poor economy. It’s because this particular industry leader can no longer supply their regular distribution channels. Why not? Because they’re using every bit of manufacturing capacity they have to fulfill massive new government contracts.

Even though they’ve cut off their regular consumer markets, the industry leader still can’t produce enough survival food to meet the government’s vast requirements.

One of the nation’s largest suppliers stated: The RFP called for a 10-day supply of meals – for 14 million people. That’s 420 million meals. Typically, FEMA maintains a stockpile of about 6 million meals. Why the sudden need to increase the stockpile by 420 million more? (And that’s in addition to whatever our aforementioned industry leader is supplying.) (BeaufortObserver)

RFI – Department of the Navy The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWARSYSCEN) Atlantic, Advanced Technology Branch (Code 51610) is seeking information on commercially-available underwater body bags used for recovery operations of bodies and body parts.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Authorized Equipment List (AEL) item number for this equipment is 03WA-01-BAGB: Underwater Body Bags. The target audience for this information is public resource dive teams within the emergency responder community, and all submittals should be suited to their specific needs. Review of this information is being performed for the DHS System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program, which aims to conduct objective comparative assessments and validation of commercial equipment andsystems and provide those results with the emergency responder community. For more information on the SAVER Program, visit https://www.rkb.us/saver.

FEMA says, Get a Survival Kit!

FEMA has rushed a $1 Billion order of dehydrated food 

FEMA camps in the U.S.

National Level Exercise 2011 (NLE 2011)

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