Re:Amber Alert

[Aaron Read <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 10:52 AM 12/22/02 -0800, Dan Billings wrote:
>--- Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com> wrote:
> > I have not received any instruction on how the Amber
> > Alert system, that is supposed to be in operation in
> > Massachusetts, works.
>
>The way the Maine system was explained in news reports
>was that law enforcement and broadcasters worked
>together on the standards for activation and the State
>Police will be the agency given the authority to
>activate the system.  When the system is activated,
>all stations will be required to carry the alert, like
>an EAS alert.
>
>-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine

There has been a lot of controversy about exactly how to carry out an Amber 
alert, though...as there's no such thing as an "Amber code" yet for many 
EAS encoder/decoders.  For example, Burk has yet to release the update that 
includes Amber codes (and a few others, I think) and will allow EAS alerts 
to be delayed by up to 60 minutes (instead of just 15).   Many of us Burk 
owners are getting a tad frustrated since the update was supposed to come 
out in early to mid-October...

Anyways, here in Mass the State Plan (last I checked with folks 
coordinating all this - which was a few months ago) calls for the CEM code 
(Civil Emergency) to be used as an "Amber Substitute" in the 
interim.   According to my sources on the PubTech listserv, several major 
public radio networks, and some FCC commissioners, have said that CEM 
should NOT be used for Amber as it could detract from an actual Civil 
Emergency...which I find unlikely but admit that a "real" CEM is a lot more 
likely post-Sept.11th than it used to be.

I handle pretty much 95% of EAS issues for WZBC and I had to become an 
overnight expert in EAS in the process, so naturally I've been pretty 
interested in Amber.   I'll ask around - see what I can find out.

__________________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read             aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting www.friedbagels.com
Brighton, MA                    AOL IM: ReadAaron