In the effort to improve the Emergency Alert System (EAS) with state-of-the-art technology, the FCC issued a Report and Order in 2007 that requires Emergency Alert System participants to become Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) compliant. Our guest speaker this month will be Bruce W. Robertson COO Digital Alert Systems. Bruce will discuss the benefits of this new CAP technology as well as the Digital Alert Systems' DASDEC product.

Other than sending a voice message, the present EAS system does not convey detailed information. CAP adds digitized alert information through an IP-based protocol. Digital Alert Systems has worked with FEMA, DHS, FCC, and SBE in the process of developing their product, which integrates CAP to EAS. With many operational DASDEC units in the field, they Digital Alert Systems has real-world experience in implementing this new technology.

Bruce’s presentation is outlined below:

• Why we are where we are
• Brief History - CONELRAD, EBS, EAS, ?(IPAWS)
• Where are we going (?)
• The ruling or publication will maintain EAS and add a CAP input.
• Comments from the EAS Summit
• 180 compliance comment
• Comments from the SBE EAS Meeting at NAB 2009
• FEMA attendance
• Acknowledged delay
• Planned Publication
• Start the Clock (?)
• State and Local EOC responsibility
• Implementation
• Today's EAS participants
• Tomorrow's EAS/CAP Participants
• Consider the CAP "File Cabinet"
• Questions?