Posted by jigga on July 19, 2015 at 16:50:03:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Local Radio Dead in Racine posted by Jeremy Andrews on July 18, 2015 at 22:14:02:
>Local Access Alerts are a last resort.
Actually, with the development of the federal IPAWS server, more and more local authorities now have better and simpler access to EAS through special software many are now utilizing.
The software allows them to send out alerts simulatenously to things like highway signs, reverse 911, and wireless phone alerts. It also sends out a message via the IPAWS servers which stations are now required to monitor. So long as the station has the right filters to forward alerts and actually allows them to forward (many don't, for several different valid reasons) then their message will be on EAS. Many different alerts have gone through in Wisconsin in this manner.
It was never a "Last resort" it was more that local officials didn't want to participate, didn't understand it, or didn't have the means to do it. With IPAWS it has become far easier for them to do it with advanced alerting software.