ORDER NO. 2778,:;
RE'P'ROVE "RMRER RLERT SYSTEM"
On this the 2Sr•d day of September, caG2, upon motion made by
Commissioner- Griffin, seconded by Commissioner Let z, the Co~.ir•t
~_inanimously approved by a vote of 4-0-0, the emergency alert
system local area plan for• the San Rntonio operational area
and designate the Co~.inty St-~er-iff as the individi_ial wt-~o can
tr•igger• the Rmber• Rler•t System.
COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST
PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE
REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: Fred H OFFICE: Count~ge
MEETING DATE:
SUBJECT: (PLEASE BE SPECIFIC)
TIME PREFERRED:
Consider and discuss approval of "Amber Alert System"-Emergency Alert System local area plan for
the San Antonio Operational Area.
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON)
NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT:
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION:
IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
County Judge
Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter
551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:

All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been
prepazed for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be
appreciated and contribute towards you request being addressed at the eazliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules
Adopted by Commissioners' Court.
~ 2
,~ 7 ~~~
a~-co~
Alamo Area Council
Of Governments
September 15, 2002
Hon. Fred Henneke
County Judge, Kerr County
700 Main
Kerrville, TX 78028
Dear Judge Henneke: Re: Emergency Alert System/Amber Alerts
On August 28, 2002, the AACOG Board of Directors voted to support the adoption of a local
activation plan for the Emergency Alert System in our region.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is designed to rapidly disseminate emergency information
through radio stations, television stations, and cable systems. EAS is the replacement of the
Emergency Broadcast System. It operates under the authority of the Federal Communications
Commission, which requires an activation plan for any local use.
The local activation plan enables authorized personnel to trigger the system when an event
meets the defined activation criteria, such as chemical spills, terrorist attacks, or weather related
events such as tornadoes and flooding. The FCC also authorizes use of the EAS for Child
Abduction Emergencies, most commonly known as "Amber" Alerts.
Given the recent rash of child abductions and the successful recoveries of some children due to
the "Amber" alert, I urge you again to take this Emergency Alert System before your city
councils and commissioners courts for approval and adoption. Currently, notifications about
storms, floods and child abductions are handled as a matter of news reporting. The activation
of an Emergency Alert System makes these notifications matter of protocol and formality.
One of the key elements in this system is the designation of who can activate the Emergency
Alert System in your jurisdiction. It is a matter of choice and decision for each governmental
entity. Some of you may have already made that decision in consultation with a city or a county
and the Emergency Operations Center in your jurisdiction. I am attaching a copy of the
pertinent portion of the Emergency Alert System for your information. A copy of the entire plan
can be obtained from our website AACOG.com or by calling Aurora M. Gonzalez, AACOG
Criminal Justice Director at (210) 362-5224.
8700 Tesoro, Suite 700• San Antonio, Texas •78217+(210) 362-5200 ~ Fax: (210) 225-5937• Web site: www.aacog.tlst.[x.us• E-mail: mail~aacog.tlst.tx.us
We have been asked to serve as the clearinghouse for your letters of support. Once your
jurisdiction has adopted the Plan, please send your letter of endorsement with the date on which
the Plan was adopted to me. I will forward it to Mr. David Otsmo, the EAS program coordinator.
Thank you for your attention to this request.
Regionally yours,
._.
~_
,G ~/~ `-.
L ,~
AI J. Notzor~lll
Executive Director
8700 Tesoro, Suite Igo ~ San Antonio, Texas ~ 78217 ~ (210) 362-5200 ~ Fax: (210) 225-5937 ~ Web site: www.aacog.dst.tx.us ~ E-mail: mail~aacog.dst.tx.us
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
LOCAL AREA PLAN
FOR THE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
OPERATIONAL AREA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. PURPOSE
II. AUTHORITY
III. EAS EQUIPMENT
A. EAS Encoders /Decoders
B. EAS Header Codes
C. Modes of Operation
IV. EAS PARTICIPATION AND PRIORITIES
A.	Summary of the National EAS Plan	5
B.	Summary of the Texas EAS Plan	5-6
C.	EAS Priorities	6
D.	Counties within the San Antonio Operational Area	6
E.	Voluntary PaRicipation by Broadcast Stations and Cable Systems	6-7
F.	Conditions of EAS Participation	7
G.	EAS Promotional and Public Service Announcements	7
V. MONITORING AND RE-BROADCAST
A. Designation of Local Primary Sources 8
B. Responsibilities of Local Primary Stations 8
C. Monitoring Assignments 9
D. Rebroadcast of Local EAS Messages 9
E. Event Code Recommendations 10
F. Video text or crawl 10
VI. ACTIVATION CRITERIA
A.	Guidance for Emergency Services Personnel	10-11
B.	Definitions of an Emergency	11
C.	Local Activation Criteria	11
D.	Follow-Up Activations	12
E.	Authorized Local Officials	12
F.	Multiple Jurisdictions	12
Page 1,
San Antonio, TX Local Arco Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision

VII. ACTIVATION IMPLEMENTATION
A. Procedures for Designated Officials 13
B. Procedures for Broadcast and Cable System Personnel 1~-14
(Includes format of Local EAS Alerts)
VII. TESTS
A. Required Weekly Test (RWT) 15
B. Format of Required Weekly Test (RWT) 15
B. Required Monthly Test (RMT) 16
C. Format of Required Monthly Test (RMT) ] 7
VIII. LOCAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE (LECC)
A.	Membership	1 g
B.	Advisory Committee	lg
C.	LECC Chairman	19
D.	LECC Meetings	19
E.	Adoption or Amendment of Plan ~	19
APPENDIX A	: EAS PROTOCOLS	20_22
APPENDIX B	: EMERGENCY MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPTS	
	B-1 Civil Emergency Activation Message	
23		
	B-2 Civil Emergency Cancellation Message	24
	B-3 Hazardous Materials Release	25
	B-4 Cance]lation of Hazardous Materials Release	26
	B-5 Flood Evacuation	27
	B-6 Cancellation of Flood Evacuation	28
APPENDIX C:	AUTHENTICATION PROCEDURES	29
APPENDIX D	: AMBER PLAN	30-33
APPENDIX E:	CABLE OVERRIDE	34
APPENDIX F:	GLOSSARY	35-36
APPENDIX G:	SAN ANTONIO LOCAL PLAN PARTICIPANTS	
APPENDIX H:	APPROVALS	
Questions or Comments Contact
DAVID C. OSTMO
Director of Operations & Engineering
KABB-TV / KRRT
(210) 366-I 129
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
Page 2
San Antonio, TX local Area plan
Mey 1','2002 Reitision
.. (nyi.. r. ~ h.~ .. ~.
LOCAL• AREA PLAN
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
OPERATIONAL AREA
I. PURPOSE
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is the replacement of the Emergency Broadcast System.
EAS can rapidly disseminate emergency information to the general public at the request of
Local, State, and Federal Officials. The Loca] EAS may be activated in response to emergency
situations such as severe weather, floods, civil disorders, industrial accidents, or any occurrence
that poses a danger to life or property. The purpose of this plan is to explain the system and
provide procedures for broadcasters, cable operators, and emergency managers in the San
Antonio Operational Area.
TI. AUTHORITY
This plan is developed under the authority of Title 47 U.S.C. 151, 154 (i) and (o), 303 (r), 524 (g)
and 606; 47 C.F.R. Part 11, FCC Rules and Regulations; Part 73, Subpart G, of the Federal
Communication Commission Rules and Regulations as it pertains to local operational use of the
Emergency Alert System.
Effective December 3.1, 1998, EAS rules and regu]ations applied to all AM and FM radio
stations, Class D FM radio stations, television stations, low power television (LPTU) stations,
and wired cable systems with 10,000 or more subscribers.
Effective October I, 2002, EAS Hiles and regulations will also apply to wired or wireless cable
systems with 5,000 or more subscribers. Effective October 1, 2002, cable systems with less than
5,000 subscribers may transmit EAS messages on only one channel, provided the cable system
transmits a video interruption and audio alert message on a21 channels stating which one channel
will carry the complete EAS message.
III. EXPLAINATION OF EAS EQUIPMENT
A. EAS Encoder /Decoders
All broadcast stations and cable systems (with 10,000 or more subscribers) are required to have
an FCC-approved EAS Encoder/Decoder. The Encoder/Decoder iscapable of Uansmitting and
receiving digitally coded emergency messages. Each Encoder/Decoder is assigned to monitor at
least two different sources for incoming emergency messages.
Page 3
San Antonio,T3Gloeal Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
B. EAS Header Codes
All EAS messages must be preceded by a Header Code ofhigh-speed digital data identifying the
following:
1. The Originator of the Message (National Weather Service, Civil Authorities,
National Level Authorities).
2. The Event Code Identifying the Type of Emergency (Examples: Tornado
Warnings, Flood Warnings, Civil Emergencies, and Amber Alerts).
3. The Area Affected by the Emergency.
4. The Valid Time Period of the Message.
5. Date and Time the Message was issued.
Individual EAS Decoders can be configured to filter the header code data and activate only for
specific emergencies in designated geographical areas. Detailed information about the format of
EAS messages is covered in Appendix A.
C. Modes of Operation
EAS Decoders must be capable of at least Manual and Automatic modes of operation. Some
manufacturers also offer aSemi-Automatic Mode. Here is a brief explanation of each mode.
I. Manual Mode: The EAS Decoder will only notify the operator on duty of any
incoming EAS Alert that it is programmed to receive. The operator must push a
button to transmit the Alert on a broadcast station or cable system.
2. Automatic Mode: The EAS Decoder will automatically interrupt program audio
and/or video with any incoming EAS Alerts the Decoder is programmed to
receive. Emergency information will be disseminated even if the station or
system is not staffed full time.
3. Semi-Automatic Mode: When the EAS Decoder receives an EAS Alert that it is
programmed to respond to, it will begin a preset countdown to automatically
interrupt. If the Alert does not air by the time the countdown expires, the EAS
decoder will automatically interrupt the audio and/or video with the incoming
message.
EAS decoders can be programmed to respond to different Alerts indifferent modes. Some
examples: the Decoder wuld respond to all weather watches in Manua] Mode and all weather
warnings in Automatic Mode. The Decoder could be programmed to respond to the Required
Monthly Test (RM'I) in Semi-Automatic mode. Since the RMT must be retransmitted within 15
minutes of receipt, the Decoder would automatically run the RMT if an operator does not
manually respond within the required time limit.
Broadcasters using "Unattended Operation" are required to operate their EAS decoder in
Automatic Mode.
IV. EAS PARTICIPATION AND PRIORITIES
A. Summary of National EAS Plan
Page 4
San Antonio, TX Local Area Plan
May J, 21X12 Revision
,. ~ .
The primary purpose of EAS is to enable the President of the United States to speak directly to
the country in times of national disaster through automatic access to the nation's broadcast
outlets and cable systems. A presidential activation is called an Emergency Action Notification
(EAN). The communication path from the White House to the local broadcast and cable outlets
is accomplished through a web of wmmunication ]inks.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains dedicated phone lines from the
White House to Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations distributed across the country. National
activations in Texas are disseminated from two PEP stations, KTRH-AM 740 in Houston and
WBAP-AM 820 in Fort Worth.
The PEP stations broadcast the message to their own operational areas in addition to three other
State Relay (SR) entities - WOAI-AM 1200 in $an Antonio, the Texas State Networks in
Dallas, and the National Weather Service office in New Braunfels.
The Local Primary (LP) stations across the state would receive the national emergency message.
from a State Relay (SR) and/or a National Weather Service station. All other broadcast stations
and cable operators are assigned to monitor a Local Primary station and/or one of the National
Weather Service offices and/or other state relay entities.
Upon receipt of a National level EAN message, all Participating National (PN) radio and
television stations and cable systems are required to interrupt programming and transmit the
national emergency message.
Any station with aNon-Participating National (NN) authorization must sign-off the air for the
duration of the Emergency Action Notification message.
During aNational-level EAS, the EAS Local Plan may also be activated if a local emergency
arises.
Additional EAS information is available from the EAS Coordinator, Federal Communications
Commission, Room 7-C753, 445 - 12"' Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20554, National
EAS information is available by telephone (888-CALL-FCC), fax (202-418-2817), on-line
(www.fce.gov/eb/eas), or by a-mail (eas@fce.gov)
B. Summary of Texas EAS Plan
The Texas Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management (DPS/DEM) will
disseminate state emergency messages upon request of the Governor or other authorized state
officials by phone or fax to State Relay (SR) points.
The five State Relay points in Texas are KTRH-AM 740 in Houston, WBAP-AM 820 in Fort
Worth, WOAI-AM 1200 in San Antonio, the Texas State Network, and the Austin/San Antonio
Office of the National Weather Service located in New Braunfels, (which will relay state
emergency messages to all National Weather Service offices serving any Texas counties).
All broadcast stations and cable systems in Texas are required to monitor their closest State
Relay station. It is requested that State EAS messages are rebroadcast within five (5) minutes of
receipt.
Page 5 ,
San Antonio, TX l.ooat Aree Plan
May f; 2bb2 Revtsiod
A current copy of the Texas EAS Plan is available from the Chair of the Texas State Emergency
Communications Committee (SECC), c/o Texas Association of Broadcasters, 502 East 11"'~
Street, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78701. Texas EAS information is available by telephone (512-
322-9944), fax (512-322-0522), on-line (www.tab.org), or a-mail (ann@tab.org)
C. EAS Priorities
EAS Priorities as set forth in Section 11.44(b) of the PCC Rules are as follows:
1. National EAS Messages
2. Local Area EAS Messages
3. State EAS Messages
4. Messages from the National Information Center (NIC)
NIC messages will typically follow a National EAS Activation with additional information. Any
NIC Messages received from national networks that are not broadcast at the time of original
transmission must be recorded locally by LP sources for transmission at the earliest opportunity.
D. Counties within the San Antonio Operational Area
The San Antonio Operational Area is defined in Appendix D of the Texas EAS Plan. It is one of
25 Local Operational Areas in the State. The San Antonio Local Operational Area includes the
following 16 Texas counties: Atascasa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Dimmit, Frio, Gonzales,
Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Real, Uvalde, V1'ilson, and Zavala. A list of
EAS location codes for each county is included in Appendix A of the San Antonio Local Area
Plan.
Page 6
San Antonio, T7{ Local Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
E. Voluntary Participation by Broadcast Stations and Cable Systems
All broadcasters (including AM and FM radio stations, television stations, and low power
television stations) and all wired cable systems with more than 10,000 subscribers operators are
required under FCC rules and regulations to transmit all EAS tests and national emergency
messages. Under the FCC's First Report and' Order, broadcasters and cable operators may be
asked by the FCC or San Antonio Local Emergency Communications Committee to indicate in
advance whether they intend to voluntarily transmit or rebroadcast state and/or local emergency
messages.
Each station and cable system is responsible for deciding the types (event codes) of emergency
messages that will be broadcast, what counties (locations) those emergency messages will cover,
and if their EAS Decoder will manually or automatically relay Local, State, or National EAS
messages.
F. Conditions of EAS Participation
Acceptance of/or participation in the San Antonio Local Area Plan shall not be deemed as a
relinquishment of program control. A broadcast licensee or cable operator shall not be
prohibited from exercising independent discretion and responsibility in any given situation. The
concept of management of each broadcast station and cable system to exercise discretion
regarding the transmission of emergency information and instructions to the general public is
provided by FCC Rules and Regulations, Part 11. Broadcast stations and cable systems
originating EAS emergency communications shall be deemed to have conferred rebroadcast
authority as specified in Section 11.54(d).
G. EAS Promotional and Public Service Announcements
Broadcasters and cable operators that voluntarily follow the recommended procedures of the
Local Area Plan may identify themselves as a "Local Participant in the Emergency Alert System
for the San Antonio Operational Area" in EAS tests, public service announcements, and other
promotional materials.
Under Part 11.46 of the FCC rules and regulations, broadcasters and cable operators may use
public service announcements or obtain commercial sponsors for announcements, infomercials,
or programs explaining EAS to the public. Such announcements and programs may not be a part
of alerts or tests, and may not simulate or attempt to copy alert tones or codes.
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San Antonio~'{~C~~.Q~Area Plan
May 1,'21102 Revision '
V. MONITORING AND RE-BROADCAST
A. Designation of Local Primary Sources
LOCAL PRIMARY (LP-1): WOAI-AM 1200
LOCATION: 6222 NW IH 10, San Antonio, TX 78201
MONITORING ASSIGNMENTS: KTRH-AM 740
NOAH Weather Radio or Weather Wire
Texas State Network (Channel 1 or A-Left)
STATION CONTACT:
CONTACT METHOD:
KKYX-AM 680
Dan Walthers, Chief Engineer
Office:
E-mail:
Main Line:
Direct Line
Newsroom
FAX:
E-mail:
2. LOCAL PRIMARY (LP-2):
LOCATION:
MONITORING ASSIGNMENTS:
STATION CONTACT:
CONTACT METHOD:
210-736-9700
KKYX-AM 680
8122 Datapoint, San Antonio, TX 78229
WOAI-AM 1200
NOAA Weather Radio or Weather Wire
Paul Reynolds, Chief Engineer
Office: _-_-_
E-mail:
Main Line: 210-615-5400
Direct Line _ _-
Newsroom - -
FAX: _ _-_
Email:
B. Responsibilities of Local Primary Stations
In consideration of this designation, the Local Primary Station ogee to:
1. Provide staff trained to broadcast EAS messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
2. Install an EAS Decoder capable of receiving all 3 of its Monitoring Assignments
3. Install an EAS Encoder capable of alerting al] ] 6 counties for al] EAS event codes
4. Install a direct telephone line answered 24-hours by a trained operator on duty
5. Follow the established call back and code word system to authenticate telephone
requests for activation
The LP-1 and LP-2 stations ogee to broadcast al] local and state EAS messages with the proper
SAME header code within five (5) minutes of receipt.
C. Monitoring Assignments
Page 8
San Mtonio, 77{ I.ocal,Area Plan
May 1~ 2U02~Ttev);iori'tiP~
All broadcast and cable systems serving any portion of the San Antonio Operational Area must
monitor the LP-1 (WOAI-AM 1200) and LP-2 (I{KYX-AA1680j sources as their primary and
secondary monitoring assignments.
It is strongly recommended that all stations add a NOAA weather radio receiver as an additional
input to their EAS Decoder.
D. Rebroadcast of EAS messages
Local Primary sources transmitting EAS messages shall be deemed to have conferred authority
for rebroadcast by other broadcast stations and cable operators serving the San Antonio Area.
All other broadcasters and cable systems are encouraged to rebroadcast the audio portion of the
EAS message received from a Local Primary source, or use their own on-air staffto repeat or
summarize the EAS message following the same format for Local EAS Messages in Section
VII-B. The on-air staff should be careful that they broadcast only the audio (verbal) portion of
the EAS message. They should not precede the audio with the EAS digital codes. Use of the 8-
second Attention Signal is optional for rebroadcast of Local EAS Messages.
Broadcasters and cable operators are encouraged to set their EAS Eneoder/Decoders to either
automatic or semi-automatic mode in order to rebroadcast Local EAS messages within five (5)
minutes of receipt.
E. Event Code Recommendations
The San Antonio Local Plan recommends that all EAS EncodedDecoders should be programmed
to rebroadcast Local EAS messages with any ofthe Event Codes, listed below, that affect the
specific counties within the station's coverage area or cable system's franchise area.
The following four event codes will originate from the New Braunfels office of the National
Weather Service.
1. FFW -Flash Flood Warning
2. FLW -Flood Warning
3. SVR -Severe Thunderstorm Warning
4. TOR - Tornado Warning
Other severe weather warnings, watches, and statements may be broadcast without EAS
activation as part of norrnal programming at the station's discretion.
Upon the request of a city or county office of emergency management, in any portion of the ] 6
counties in the San Antonio Operational Area, the Local Primary Stations will activate EAS.
The emergency must meet the EAS criteria listed in Section V-C. The designated event codes
are:
5. CAE -Child Abduction Emergency (Amber Alert)
6. CDW -Civil Danger Warning
7. CEM -Civil Emergency Message
Page 9
San Antonio,lX Local Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
8. EVI -Evacuation Immediate :
9. FRW -Fire Warning
] 0. HMW -Hazardous Material Warning
11. LEW -Law Enforcement Warning
12. LAE -Local Area Emergency
13. TOE - 911 Telephone Outage Emergency
14. RHW -Radiological Hazard Warning
15. SPW -Shelter in Place Warning
Suggested EAS scripts for different Civil Emergency Messages are included in Appendix B.
The criteria for Amber Alerts is listed in Appendix D.
F. Video Text or Crawl
Under the FCC's Second Report and Order, television stations and cable systems serving 10,000
or more subscribers are required to provide both audio and video versions of national EAS
messages and all EAS tests on all programmed channels to ensure EAS messages are accessible
to all viewers, especially those with hearing disabilities.
For State and Local EAS messages, television stations and cable systems are encouraged to
provide a full-screen text summary or video crawl summarizing the EAS message, including the
originator, event, location, and valid time period of the message. Any video craw] must be
displayed at the top of the screen or another location in order to prevent interference with any
closed captioning system orcharacter-generated supers. Spanish-language television stations can
display its text summary or video crawl in either Spanish or English.
Vl. ACTIVATION CRITERIA
A. Guidance for Emergency Services Personnel
The Emergency Alert System is designed for the rapid dissemination of news and official
information during emergency situations. Civil Authorities have acquired a valuable tool that
provides direct access to azea broadcasters and cable operators. Use of the EAS must be reserved
for catastrophic situations when time is of the essence to prevent the loss of lives or property.
The decision to activate the EAS rests with Emergency Services Personnel. Some broadcasters
and cable operators will have the EAS equipment operating in the Automatic Mode that pass
through any messages without any pre-screening. Facilities that operate in Automatic Mode
depend on Civil Authorities to carefully determine if situation warrants EAS activation. All
broadcasters and cable operators participate on a voluntary basis in the local-level EAS.
Broadcasters and cables systems will continue participate in the San Antonio Local Area Plan
only if there is judicious use of EAS activations.
B. Definition of an Emergency
Page 10
San Mtonio,..yTy/3yC~ I,ocsl Area Plan
May. ~srr'aY~b.R~tYr8~6n ~~x: .
The FCC defines an emergency as a "situation posing an extraordinary threat to the safety of life
and property." The following list is intended for guidance only and is not intended to be any
exhaustive list. Some examples include:
Immediate weather situations: tornadoes, floods, severe thunderstorms, high,
winds, icing conditions, heavy snows, and widespread fires.
2. Man-made or technological situations: nuclear attack or war, industrial
explosions, discharge of toxic or flammable gases, release of chemical, biological
or radioactive agents, terrorist attacks, widespread power failures, civil disorders,
and dam failures.
C. Local Activation Criteria
Requests for local activation of the Emergency Alert System should be limited to an emergency
event or situation which:
1. Poses an immediate or imminent threat to life or property,
2. Has the potential to adversely impact a significant population or geographic area,
3. Requires immediate public knowledge to seek shelter or take protective action and
other means of disseminating information are inadequate to ensure rapid delivery
of the information.
The media and public should be informed through other methods for non-emergency events that
do not meet the above criteria. Examples include, but are not limited to, school or business
closings, ozone alerts, pollen reports, water rationing, and prohibitions on outdoor burning.
The San Antonio Local Area Plan allows an exception to the above criteria for the Amber Plan.
Local Primary stations are authorized to disseminate alerts and updates concerning abducted
children, subject to terms of art LECC-approved Amber Plan (see Appendix D). Broadcasters
and cable operators are encouraged to re-broadcast such Amber alerts and updates.
D. Follow-Up Activations
Due to the automated nature of the EAS system, activation will result in a single broadcast. The
same information will not be repeated at specified intervals. Afrer the initial EAS activation,
further information will be considered a news item to be covered by local media outlets. The
EAS system may be reactivated if the emergency situation escalates and life-saving instructions
to the affected population must be updated immediately.
E. Local Authorized Officials
In accordance with the Texas Disaster Act, the Local Area Plan can be activated at the request of:
1. The Mayor or Emergency Management Coordinator of any incorporated city
within the San Antonio Operational Area.
Page 11
San Anronio,,'{7~.Locs1 Area Plan
May 1, 2602 Revision
2. The County Judge or Emergency Management Coordinator of any county or
unincotporated area within the San Antonio Operational Area.
3. The Commander of any ]oval military base.
4. The National Weather Service located in New Braunfels.
Other city or county departments or state agencies should route their request for local EAS
activation through the local Office of Emergency Management of the affected city or county.
Overnight, weekends and holidays when the city/county administrative and emergency
management offices are closed, local EAS activation maybe requested through the 24-hour
police or fire dispatch center if so authorized by their city or county office of emergency
management.
F. Multiple Jurisdictions
If an emergency impacts multiple jurisdictions in the San Antonio Operation Area, the decision
to activate the Local EAS must be coordinated between all of the impacted jurisdictions. This
will allow a single standardized message to be relayed to the affected population. Each
jurisdiction located in the San Antonio Operational Area must develop and distribute local
procedures to appropriate public officials. It is important that public officials understand the use
of the EAS and use it only when it is the most appropriate method of getting initial lifesaving
information to the public.
Page 12
San Antonio, TX Local Area Plan
May 1, 2062~tevision
,~
VII. ACTIVATION PROCEDURES FOR AUTHORIZED LOCAL OFFICIALS
,
A. Procedures for Emergency Management Personnel
Emergency Management Personnel must follow the procedures outlines below once they have
determined that a situation qualifies for local'EAS Activation. Emergency information must be
very clear and concise. Designated officials should use the appropriate form in Appendix B to
organize the information.
1. Request activation of EAS through the LP-1, WOAI.
2. In the event that it is not possible to reach WOAI, request activation through the
LP-2, I{ICVX.
3. Activation may also be requested through the National Weather Service office in
New Braunfels to trigger NOAA weather radios.
Tmportant Note: Local Officials should not request EAS activation for severe weather
warnings through WOAI or I{I{YX. Any weather related concerns should be directed to
the National Weather Service.
4. Designated officials and personnel at the Lora] Primary stations must follow the
Authentication Procedures outlined in Appendix C.
5. Upon Authentication, the designated officials and Local Primary station personnel
must determine the transmission details. (Live or Recorded, Immediate or
Delayed). Officials should fax or read the information from the appropriate form
in Appendix B. The maximum length of any message should not exceed 90-
Seconds. Some EAS Decoders will automatically reset afrer two minutes and cut
off the message.
6. If necessary, maintain an open line of communication.
7. For a unique emergency not involving the entire San Antonio Operational Area,
authorities may request EAS activation through the cable system and broadcast
stations serving only the affected area.
B. Procedures for Broadcast and Cable System Personnel
Upon receipt of a request to activate the local EAS from appropriate authority;
(verify authenticity through procedures outlined in Appendix C). personnel at the
Local Primary station utilize the following format:
a. Interrupt normal programming
b. Optional Announcement:
"We interrupt our programming to activate the San Antonio Emergency
Alert System. Important information will follow."
c. One-second pause (no audio).
d. Send EAS Header Code three times (the required amount to trip EAS
decoders) and incorporate the county FIPS wde(s) and Event Codes
following the format in Appendix A.
e. One-second pause (no audio)
f Eight second Attention Signal (853 and 960 Hz tone).
g. Activation Announcement:
Page 13
San Antonio,'~7~ Locel~Area Plan
May 1, 20152 Revision
"We interrupt our programming to activate the San Antonio Emergency
Alert system."
h. Broadcast EAS Message. -
i. Termination announcement:
"This concludes activation of the San Antonio Emergency Alert System."
j. One-second pause (no audio)
k. Send EAS End-of-Message Code three times (The required amount to
ielease EAS decoders)
1. Resume normal programming.
Tmaortant Note: When relaying EAS messages for State and Local emergencies,
broadcasters and cable operators have the option of transmitting only the EAS header and
EOM codes avithout the Attention Signal and emergency message. This is enables EAS
coded message to be quickly relayed through areas unaffected by the emergency.
2. All other broadcast stations and cable systems aze monitoring key sources via
EAS equipment and will be alerted by the header codes and attention signal. Each
station and cable system upon reci=ipt of the signal will, at the discretion of
management, perform [he same procedures as in the Step 1 above by transmitting
the emergency message from the LP-1 or LP-2. Broadcast stations and cable
systems using automatic interrupt of programming should receive the EOM codes
before retransmitting State or Local level EAS messages. This can prevent
downstream locations from missing parts of the EAS message.
3. Appropriate notations should be made on the station logs and cable system
records. Avery brief summary maybe sent to the FCC for informational
purposes only. ,
Page 14
San Antonio, 7X I.oca1, Arcs Plan
stay 1,,2b071tevision'
VIII. TESTS
The following requirements regazding Required Weekly Tests (RWT) and Required Monthly
Tests (RMT) apply to all cable systems and broadcasters, "PN" as well as "NN" stations,
Stations and cable systems that have elected not to participate in local EAS alerts are required'to
rebroadcast the RMT.
There are two exceptions to the rules. Class "D" FM and LPTV stations are not required to have
an EAS Encoder. They are however, required to have an EAS Decoder. Such stations are
exempt from running the weekly digital code RWT test, The same stations must retransmit the
RMT, as outlined in this section, minus the EAS Header Codes and Attention Signal. In
addition, LPTV stations must present all EAS information visually, the same requirement as all
other TV stations. The second exception is FM translator and TV translator stations, which are
not required to have any EAS equipment.
A. Required Weekly Test QtWT)
1. Transmission: All broadcasters and cable operators must transmit an RWT once
each week at random days and times except for the week of the RMT test, There
are no time-of--day restrictions.
2, Reception: All broadcasters and cable operators receiving a RWT from one of
their monitored sources and must long receipt of the test. No further action is
required.
B. Format of the Required Weekly Test (RWT)
Use of any audio test message is optional, but must air before or after al] digital codes.
I . Stop regular programming.
2. One-sewnd pause (no audio)
3. Send EAS Header Code {with RWT event code) three times
4. One-second pause
5. Send EAS End-of-Message Code three times
6. One-second pause
7. Read the optiona] Audio Test Message:
"This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. In the event ojan emergency, this
system would bring you important information. This test is now concluded."
8. Resume normal programming
C. Required Monthly Test (RMT)
Page, 15
San Antonio, ;~7F I.aG,g1 Area,P.lan
May 1, 2002 Revision
All broadcast stations and cable systems (including those that have elected not to participate in
State or Local EAS messages) must log and re-broadcast the Required Mont}ily Test each month.
Statewide tests of the Texas Emergency Alert System are conducted during the first full week of
each month (the week including the first Sunday in any given month). The Texas State
Emergency Communications Committee will coordinate planning with the Texas Department of
Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management to initiate the Required Monthly Test by
contacting the two Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations in Texas, KTRH-AM 740 in Houston and
WBAP-AM 820 in Fort Worth. The date and time of the Required Monthly Test will vary each
month and be chosen by the Chief Engineers of the PEP stations.
Upon receipt of the Required Monthly Test, all other broadcasters and cable operators must lag
receipt of the test and re-transmit the Required Monthly Test within one hour, including the EAS
Header Codes, Attention Signal, and the Audio Test Message transmitted or re-broadcast by one
of the Local Primary sources they monitor.
Broadcasters and cable systems are assigned to monitor at least two Local Primary stations, so
they will receive two Required Monthly Test messages each month. Broadcasters and cable
systems are required to re-broadcast either one (but not both) of the RMT messages they receive
each month.
Television stations and cable operators must provide both audio and video versions of the
Required Monthly Test on all programmed channels to ensure EAS messages are accessible to all
viewers, especially those with hearing disabilities.
Television stations and cable systems are required to provide either afull-screen text summary or
video crawl of the test message. The video message shall identify the Originator (EAS), Event
(RMT), Location (all San Antonio Area county codes listed in Appendix A), and the valid time
period of the message (+O] 00) as provided in the EAS Header of the message; the video message
should also contain a text summary of the Audio Test Message.
Any video crawl must be displayed at the top of the screen or another location in order to prevent
interference with any closed captioning system or character-generated supers. Spanish-language
television stations can display its text summary or video crawl in either Spanish or English.
Radio stations licensed for daytime-only operations that receive a Required Monthly Test at
night must re-transmit the Required Monthly Test within five (5) minutes of the station's sign-
on.
Broadcast and cable management should impress on their staff that re-broadcast of the Required
Monthly Test is not an option and cannot be replaced by the station or cable system conducting
its own monthly test. Failure to re-broadcast the Required Monthly Test within one hour is a
FCC violation. The Texas State Emergency Communications Committee has adopted a 5-
minute rebroadcast requirement as part of the Texas EAS Plan.
Page 16
San Antonio, TX Local r^.rea Plan
'May 1; 211t127t`evisitln
D. Format of the Required Monthly Test (RMT)
1. Stop regular programming
2. Optional intro:
"This is a test of the Texas Emergency Alert System."
3. One-second pause
4. Send EAS Header Code (with RMT event code) three times
5. One-second pause
6. Send eight-second EAS Attention Signal (853 and 960 Hz)
7. Read (or re-broadcast) the required Audio Test Message:
"This is a Required Monthly Test of the. Texas Emergency Alert System. In the
event ofan emergency, this system would bring you important informafion. This
test is now concluded."
8. One-second pause
9. Send EAS End-of-Message Code three times
10. One-second pause
l 1. Resume normal programming .
Page 17 ,
San Antonio,;TX;l;ocal Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
IX. LOCAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
The San Antonio Area Local Emergency Communications Committee (LECC) will exist toy
maintain the EAS Local Area plan and review the plan's operation. The committee will examine
al] activations (that do not originate from the National Weather Service) to determine if the
request met the criterion set forth in this plan and the response from the broadcastand cable
industry. The information gathered by the LECC will be used to make recommendations and
further improve the operation of the plan.
A. Membership
Membership is voluntary and shall be open to San Antonio area representatives of participating
radio and television stations, participating cable system operators, city and county offices of
emergency management, the Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC), the Texas
Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management, the New Braunfels Office of
the National Weather Service, and any other membership category approved by the LECC.
Membership is also available to San Antonio area representatives of other services regulated by
the FCC that may voluntarily participate in EAS, including but not limited to, wireless cable
systems, direct satellite broadcast systems, digital paging services, telephone and cellular
carriers, Internet Service Providers, Open Video Systems, Local Multipoint Distribution
Services, Satellite Master Antenna Television systems, and other digital technology systems,
Requests for membership must be approved by the LECC, and then be submitted to the Texas
State Emergency Communications Committee, which in turn will submit nominations to the
Federal Communications Commission.
B. Advisory Group
The LECC will include an Advisory Group to monitor usage and formulate recommendations to
the full LECC membership. Each of the following organizations will have one seat in the
Advisory Committee. It is the responsibility of each organization to designate their
representative.
1. The LP-1 Local Primary Station
2. The LP-2 Local Primary Station
3. The LP-S Local Primary Station
4. One San Antonio Television with a News Department
5. The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE)
6. The San Antonio Emergency Operations Center
7. South Central Emergency Managers Association (SCEMA)
8. T1re Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
9. Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG)
] 0. The Nationa[ Weather Service
I1. Time Warner Cable
12. One Cable System Outside of Bexar County
C. LECC Chairman
Page l8
San Antonio,lX l.ocsl Area Plan
May T; 2002 Revision
By majority vote, the Advisory Committee will select an LECC Chairperson to serve a twos year
term. The LECC Chairman is responsible for the following items:
1. Schedule and conduct two annual meetings and other meetings as necessary.
2. Organize a meeting of the Advisory Committee following each EAS activation
that does not originate from the National Weather Service.
3. Bring all proposed changes to the full committee for consideration.
4. Issue updated Authentication Code Lists.
5. Coordinate training sessions for participants in the San Antonio Local Area Plan
to explain criteria EAS activation and procedures For implementation.
6, Appoint subcommittees as necessary.
D. LECC Meetings
The Advisory Committee shall meet in the first two weeks of March. A general meeting of the
entire LECC membership shall meet in the first two weeks of October. Additional meetings will
be scheduled as necessary.
E. Adoption or Amendment of Plan
Proposed changes to the San Antonio EAS Local Plan must be submitted in writing to the LECC
Chairperson for consideration at the next scheduled meeting. Proposed changes require approval
by a majority vote of the LECC members in attendance.
Any approved amendment to the Local Area Plan by LECC must be submitted for approval t0
the Texas State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) and the Federal Communi-
cations Commission before the changes become operational.
Page 19
San Antonio, TX 7.ocgl:Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
APPENDIX A: EAS PROTOCOLS
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) utilizes a digital Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME)
protocol adopted by the FCC and the National Weather Service. Al] EAS audio messages must
be preceded by a Header Code of high-speed digital data identifying the:
1. Originator of the message (such as Weather Service or civil authority)
2. Event code (such as tornado or flood warning, or civil emergency message)
3. Location of county or portion of county affected by the emergency
4. The valid time period of the message (in ] 5 or 30 minute increments)
5. Date and time the message was issued
This digital information can be received, stored, and displayed on EAS decoders, computers,
cellular phones, pagers, video crawl and closed captioning systems, and other digital receiving
equipment. Al] broadcasters and cable operators are required to install equipment necessary to
encodeldecode EAS messages using the SAME protocol.
The EAS Header Code consists of the following ASCII data codes:
ORG-EEE-PSSCCC+TTTT-JJJHHMM-LLLLLLLL
The character string represents the following items: ORG (Originator Code)-EEE (Event Code)-
PSSCCC (L.ocafion Code)-TTTT (Time Code)-JJJHHMM (Date Code)-LLLLLLLL
(Identification Code).'
Here are the details for each code:
ORIGINATOR CODES (ORG):
EAN = Emergency Action Notification Network (National Alert)
EAS = Local broadcast station or cable system
CIV = Civil authorities (city, county, or state office of emergency management)
PEP = Primary Entry Point System
WXR = National Weather Service
REQUIRED NATIONAL EAS EVENT CODES (EEE):
(All EAS Decoders must activate and relay the following fow codes)
EAN = Emergency Action Notification (National Alert)
EAT = Emergency Action Termination (National Alert)
RMT = Required Montlily Test (State or Local)
RWT = Required Weekly Test (Local)
RECOMMENDED LOCAL EAS EVENT CODES (EEE):
(The San Antonio Local Plan recommends that area broadcast stations and cable systems
program their EAS Decoders to activate and relay the following six Event Codes)
Page 20
San Antonio, TX Local Area Plan
bYay 1, 2002 Revision' ~'
CAE = Child Abduction Emergency (Amber Alerts)
CDW = Civil Danger Waming
CEM = Civil Emergency Message (City or county office of emergency management)
EVI = Evacuation Immediate
FFW = Flash Flood Warning (NWS)
FLW = Flood Waming (NWS)
FRW = Fire Warning
HMW = Hazardous Material Waming
LAE = Local Area Emergency
LEW = Law Enforcement Waming
RHW = Radiological Hazard Waming
SPW = Shelter in Place Waming
SVR = Severe Thunderstorm Waming (NWS}
TOR = Tornado Waming (NWS)
OPTIONAL LOCAL EAS EVENT CODES (EEE):
ADR =	Administrative Message (State or Loca])
ADR =	Amber Alerts (Secondary use of Event Code for Local Level)
DMO =	PracticeJDemo Waming (State or Local)
EVI =	Evacuation Immediate
FFA =	Flash Flood Watch (NWS)
FFS =	Flash Flood Statement (NWS)
FLS =	Flood Statement tNWS}
HUW =	Hurricane Waming (NWS)
HWA =	High Wind Watch (NWS)
HWW =	High Wind Waming (NWS)
SPS =	Special Weather Statement (NWS)
SVA =	Severe Thunderstorm Watch (NWS)
SVS =	Severe Weather Statement (NWS)
TOA =	Tomado Watch (NWS)
WSA =	Winter Storm Watch (NWS)
WSW =	Winter Storm Waming (NWS)
LOCATION CODES (PSSCCC):
The location code uses the 6-digit Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) code to
indicate the specific geographic area affected by the Local EAS Message.
The first character in the PSSCCC string is called the P code. The P code is presently "0" but is
reserved for later use to identify portions of a specific county.
The SS refers to the two-digit state code. The state ofTexas is assigned 48.
The CCC refers to the county code. For example, Bexar county is assigned 029. The complete
string for Bexar county is 048029.
Page 21
San Antonio, 7'X Local Area Plan
May 1, 200 Revision `
Here are the location codes for all counties in the San Antonio Operational Area.
Atascosa	048013	Kames	048255
Benders	048019	Kendall	048259
Bexaz	048029	Ken	048265
Comal	048091	Medina	048325
Dimmit	048127	Real	048385
Frio	048163	Uvalde	048463
Gonzales	048177	Wilson	048493
Guadalupe	048187	Zavala	048507
TIME CODES (+TTTT)
This code indicates the valid time period of a message in 15-minute increments up to one hour,
and then in 30-minute increments after one hour (i.e., +0015, +0030,+0045,+0100, +0130,
+2000). For events (such as hazazdous materials incidents) where the duration of the emergency
cannot be estimated, the initial time code should be two hours (+0200); the EAS message can be
cancelled eazlier or extended later if needed.
DATE CODE (JJJHHMM)
This is the day in Julian Ca]endaz Days (JJJ) of the yeaz and the time in hours and minutes
(HHMM) when the message was initially released by the Originator using 24-hour Universal
Coordinated Time (UTC). The EAS encoder automatically inserts these codes.
IDENTIFICATION CODE (LLLLLLLL)
This is the call sign or other identification (up to 8 characters) of the broadcast station cable
system, or National Weather Service office transmitting or re-broadcasting the message. The
EAS encoder automatically inserts these codes.
Page 22
San Antonio, 7X l.ocel Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision ,~
APPENDIX B-1: ACTIVATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
CIVIL EMERGENCIES
PROCEDURES:
1. Complete the script. All blanks must be filled out. Limit message to 90-seconds max.
2. Call WOAI at 210-802-0245, identify yourself and follow authentication procedure.
3. Or call KKYX (Ifunable to reach WOAI) at 210-615-5400, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
4. Or call the National Weather Sen~ice at 830-606-3600, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
5. Fax a copy of the completed script to the same Local Primary station.
6. Contact the same station when the emergency is over. Otherwise, the message will
automatically expire after the time period you provide.
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER:
OR:
T'he -(city or county) Office of Emergency Management requests activation of the
Emergency Alert System to broadcast a Civil Emergency Message in effect for a portion of
(county) until -(time) a.m./p.m. due to a (type of incident)
(Provide information and recommended actions to be taken by the public)
(If needed, add any other information or special instructions here.)
Page 23
San Antonio, T7tl.oC~l Aira Plan
May 1, 2/102 Revision
APPENDIX B-2: CANCELLATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
CIVIL EMERGENCIES
PROCEDURES:
1. When the emergency condition has ended, complete the script. All blanks must be filled
out. Limit message to 90-seconds max.
2. Call WOAI at 210-802-0245, identify yourself and follow authentication procedure.
3. Or call KKYX (If unable to reach WOAI) at 210-615-5400, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
4. Or call the National Weather Service at 830-606-3600, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
5. Fax a copy of the completed script to the same Local Primary station.
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER:
OR:
The -(city or county) Office of Emergency Management requests activation of the
Emergency Alert System to report that the Civil Emergency Message in effect for a portion of
(county)- has been cancelled as of -(time)- a.m./p.m.
(Provide updated information and whether public can return to normal activities.)
(If needed, add any additional information or special instructions here.)
Page 24
San Antonio, 77C 1.acel Area Plan
MaY 7, 2002'Ret~sion
APPENDIX B-3: ACTIVATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RELEASE
1. Complete the script. All blanks must be filled out. Limit message to 90-seconds max.
2. Call WOAI at 210-802-0245, identify yourself and follow activation procedure.
3. Or call KICYX (If unable to reach WOAD at 210-615-5400, identify yourself and follow
activation procedure.
4. Or call the National Weather Service at 830-606-3600, identify yourself and follow
activation procedure.
5. Fax a copy of the completed script to the same Local Primary station.
6. Contact the same station when the emergency is over. Otherwise, the message will
automatically expire afrer the time period you provide.
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER:
OR:
The -(city or county)- Office of Emergency Management requests activation of the
Emergency Alert System to broadcast a Civil Emergency Message in effect for a portion of
(county) until _(time)~ a.m./p.m. due to a ^(type of incident)
located at {name and/or street location) in-(city or county)
As a safety precaution, we recommend all persons within _ mile(s) of this location between
(street) on the north, (street) on the south, -(street) on the
east, and (street) on the west to:
SHELTER IN PLACE until the release is stopped and fumes have dissipated. This
means you should go inside ttte nearest building or vehicle, close all doors and windows,
and turn off any air conditioning or heating systems that might draw in outside air. Stay
offthe telephone to keep phone lines open for emergency use.
EVACUATE and stay clear ofthe area by heading cross-wind iowazd the
-(safe directions or shelter location);
(]f needed, add any other information or special instructions here.)
APPENDIX B-4: CANCELLATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RELEASE
..Page 25
San Mtoniq„~7C,I.oca1 Area Plan
May , 2002'~tevision
PROCEDURES: •
1. When the condition has dissipated, complete the script. All blanks must be filled out.
Limit message to 90-seconds max.
2. Call WOAI st 210-802-0245, identify yourself and follow authentication procedure.
3. Or call ICI{YX (If unable to reach WOAI) at 210-615-5400, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
4. Or call the National Weather Service at 830-606-3600, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
5. Fax a copy of the completed script to the same Local Primary station.
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER: OR:
The -(city or county) Office of Emergency Management requests aMivation of the
Emergency Alert System to report that the Civil Emergency Message in effect for a portion of
(county) , has been cancelled as of-(time) a.mJp.m.
The -(type of incident)- located at -(name and/or street location) in
(city or county) is now under control and no longer poses any threat to the area.
The earlier rewmmendation to SHELTER IN PLACE has been cancelled. Instead,
persons who sheltered-in-place should now open all doors and windows, and tum on their
air conditioning or heating systems in order to air out the building before returning inside
and resuming normal activities.
The earlier recommendation to EVACUATE the area has been cancelled. Instead,
persons who evacuated the area can now safely return to the area and resume normal
activities. Evacuees should be prepared to show proper identification to local law
enforcement to gain admission to the area.
(If needed, add any other information or special instructions here.)
Page 26
San Antonio, TX Local Area Plan
IvIaY ].,2002~n''Sion
:r" h t _
APPENDIX B-5: ACTIVATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
FOR FLOOD EVACUATION
PROCEDURES:
1. Complete the script. All blanks must be filled out. Limit message to 90-seconds max.
2. Call WOAI at 210-802-0245, identify yourself and follow authentication procedure.
3. Or call KKYX (Ifunable to reach WOAD at 210-615-5400, identify yourselfand follow
authentication procedure.
4. Or call the National Weather Service at 830-606-3600, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
5. Fax a copy of the completed script to the same Local Primary station.
6. Contact the same station when the emergency is over. Otherwise, the message will
automatically expire after the time period you provide.
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER:
OR:
The -(city or county), Office of Emergency Management requests activation of the
Emergency Alert System to broadcast a Civil Emergency Message in effect for a portion of
(county)- until _(time)~ a.m./p.m. due to a-(type of incident)
Based on National Weather Service warnings, the (Mayor or County Judge) of
(city or county)- recommends the following persons evacuate immediately:
all residents in the area threatened by high water
all persons in low-lying or flood-prone areas along (river or lake)
from _(location)- to -(location)
all persons }orated in -(subdivision, city or county)- should evacuate before
(time and date) to a safe location
(If needed, add any other information or special instmctions here.)
APPENDIX B-6: CANCELLATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
FOR FLOOD EVACUATION
PROCEDURES:
Page 27.
San Antonio,'I^~Area Plan
May 1, 2p(j~Tt$vision ~'
1. When the flooding has subsided, complete the script. All blanks must be filled out. Limit
message to 90-seconds max.
2. Call WOAI at 210-802-0245, identify yourself and follow authentication procedure
3. Or call KKYX (If unable to reach WOAI) at 210-615-5400, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
4. Or call the National Weather Service at 830-606-3600, identify yourself and follow
authentication procedure.
5. Fax a copy of the completed script to the same Local Primary station.
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER:
OR:
The -(city or county)- Office of Emergency Management requests activation of the
Emergency Alert System to report that the Civil Emergency Message in effect for a portion of
-(county)- has been cancelled as of -(time)- a.m./p.m.
The threat of-(flooding or hurricane damage)- has now ended for the area.
The earlier recommendation to EVACUATE the azea has been cancelled. Instead, persons who
evacuated the area can safely return to the area and resume normal activities.
Evacuees should be prepazed to show proper identification to local law enforcement to gain
admission to the evacuated area.
(If needed, add any additional information or special instructions here.)
Page 28
San Antoniof TX 1.a~alArea Plan
1vley'1~20Q~~~sion ,
APPENDIX C: AUTHENTICATION PROCEDURES
1. Telephone the LP-1, LP-2, or the New Braunfels Office of the National Weather Service.
2. The caller must identify themselves in the following way:
"This is (Namellitle) oj(Organization). I request Local Activation of the Emergency Alert
System because oj(Description of Emergency). My call back number is
3. Station personnel at the LP-1, LP-2, or NWS will randomly select a number between 1-20.
4. The caller must provide the corresponding code word from the current Authentication List.
5. If the caller is unable to provide a valid code word the station personnel must promptly
terminate the telephone call.
6. Upon authentication, the designated officials and Local Primary Station personnel must work
out the details of the requested activation.
7. When necessary both parties should keep an open line of communication.
Code Word List #I Effective Date: October 2001
1. Juliett Zulu
2. Bravo Golf
3. Mike Romeo
4. Echo India
5. Quebec Uniform
6. Sierra Kilo
7. Romeo Tango
8. Whiskey Papa
9. India Juliett
10. Tango Lima
11. Sierra X-Ray
12. Romeo Hotel
13. November Papa
14. Echo Yankee
I5. India Whiskey
16. Delta X-Ray
17. Chazlie Romeo
18. Yankee Zulu
19. Victor Delta
20. Yankee Foxtrot
The Local Emergency Communications Committee must revise the Code Word List at ]east once
annually. The list will be distributed to the LP-1, LP-2, the National Weather Service, members
of the LECC and appropriate Civil Authorities. The Code Word List is not for general distribu=
tion and must be kept confidential.
Pagy.24
San Antonio ;1~~,pca1 Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision "
APPENDIX D: AMBER PLAN
BACKGROUND INFORMATION '
The purpose of this policy and procedure is to establish the criteria for activating the Amber
Alert by law enforcement when a child is abducted. The program is a cooperative public service
effort between local law enforcement, news media outlets, Amber Plan business partners, and'the
public.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, up to 4,600 children aze abducted every yeaz nation-
wide. There are another ] 14,600 attempted non-family abductions. The primary motivation for
the child abduction is sexual assault. Ninety percent of all abducted children are sexually
assaulted. When an abduction occurs, fast action is necessary because sixty percent of the time
there is typically atwo-hour delay in making the initial missing child report. Seventy four
percent of the abducted children are murdered within three hours of the abduction. It is essential
for the public to be notified as soon as possible to help find the missing child.
The San Antonio Regional Amber Plan is based on a similar successful program created by the
Association of Radio Managers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The program was named afrer 9-
year-old Amber Hagerman who was abducted and murdered in 1996. The Dallas Amber Plan
involves 33 law enforcement agencies, 30 radio stations and 11 television stations in the Dallas
metraplex.
Since July 1997; the Dallas Amber Plan has been activated 30 times; eight children have been
safely recovered due to the Dallas Amber Plan. Since 1997, Amber Plans and similar missing
children alerts have expanded to 21 states. In October 2001, the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children launched an initiative for a nationwide Amber Plan.
The San Antonio Local Emergency Communications Committee (LECC) administers the San
Antonio Regional Amber Plan. The LECC is appointed by the Federal Communications
Commission to develop and implement the Emergency Alert System (EAS) fora 16-county
region of South Texas.
WOAI-AM 1200 and I{ICYX-AM 680 originate and broadcast the EAS activation in the San
Antonio Operational area. Other radio, television, and cable systems can interrupt their normal
programming to voluntarily re-broadcast the EAS local activations as a news/weather bulletin or
character-generated "crawl" at the top or bottom of the television screen.
Participating media outlets would interrupt their normal programming and broadcast the Amber
Alert at least twice an hour for the first two hours. The Amber Alert message encourages the
public to look for the missing child or suspect, but take no action themselves. Instead anyone
who thinks they saw the child or suspect should immediately call the law enforcement agency
number included in the Amber Alert. Once the child is found, an Amber Update would be
similarly distributed to law enforcement agencies and media outlets. The Amber Plan
Subcommittee, composed of representatives of participating media outlets and Jaw enforcement
agencies, will review every Amber Alert Activation within seven days.
B. BENEFITS OF "EAS-BASED" AMBER P LAN
Page 30
San An onio, TX I-acal Area Plan
May 12002 Rlv2sion . ,
1. Every radio/I'V/Cable system~will receive the information at the same time.
2. No additional expense or re-progratnming of EAS receiver.
3. Stations have the option of retransmitting the audio that is received when the EAS
is activated, or information can be re-voiced by station personnel.
4. With current weekly EAS tests, control room operators are already aware of the
system, and use it regularly.
C. ACTIVATION CRITERIA
Circumstances where an AMBER Alert WOULD be activated include:
1. The missing child must be 17 yeais of age or younger.
2. The child is abducted and there are witnesses to the crime
3. The child is missing but there is evidence of foul play, and law enforcement
believes the child was abducted.
4. A vehicle was stolen or "catjacked" and a child was left inside the vehicle.
5. The child is missing and particular consideration is given to their behavior or
mental capacity in some way contributed to their disappearance. The child is also
considered endangered.
D. NON QUALIFYING SITUATIONS
Circumstances where an AMBER Alert WOULD NOT be activated include:
1. A child is missing and law enforcement has no evidence of foul play,
2. A child runs away from home.
3. A child is missing as a result of a custody dispute and the child is not considered
to be at risk of bodily harm or death.
4. An adult is missing.
5. Authorities are looking for wanted criminals who are bank robbers or alleged
murder suspects in adult crimes.
If a missing child does not meet the activation criteria for an AMBER Alert, the investigating
law enforcement agency can still alert the media through standard news procedwes by sending a
press release or alerting the media by telephone. The stations can then determine whether or not
to air the incident in their regulaz newscasts.
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San Antonio, TX Local Area Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
E. POLICE PROCEDURES
Upon confirmation of a child abduction:
1. Determine and prepaze information for public distribution. The information
should be written in clearly understood terms, not in police "shorthand".
2. Designate a department contact for the Local Primary stations. Include the name
and telephone number on the standardized form. (Appendix D-1)
3. Fax the document to the LP-1 or LP-2 stations.
4. The Local Primary station will immediately call back to the originating
department to confirm the information. Upon confirmation, the Local Primary
station will immediately distribute the information to the participating stations and
cable systems via the Emergency Alert System.
5. Subsequent updates from the originating department should be provided as events
warrant.
6. Upon closure of the child abduction case, a final bulletin should be distributed
from the Local Primary Station.
F. BROADCASTER AND CABLE SYSTEM PROCEDURES
Here is how the Amber -EAS Activation Procedure works in San Antonio:
1. Fax is received from police agency at WOAI and ICKYX, (the LP-1 and LP-2
stations serving the San Antonio area). Both stations communicate with each
other upon receipt of Amber activation fax, to insure that each station has received
the information.
2. WOAI and ICICYX will activate EAS to transmit Amber Activation. The Event
Code is CAE. All participating broadcast stations in cable systems have
programmed their Decoders to receive the alerts. All broadcast stations and cable
systems in the San Antonio area monitor WOAI or KKYX on the EAS Decoders.
3. After transmission of the digital data bursts that trigger your receiver, WOAI and
KKYX will transmit the Amber Tone, followed by the text message from the
police agency. There will be no reference to WOAI or KKYX in the Amber
activation.
4. Following transmission of the message, the digital data bursts to terminate the
message will be transmitted. At that point, the audio message from WOAI or
ICKYX will be in the EAS Decoder. Stations then have an option of either
retransmitting the audio, or transcribing the message and originating their own
broadcast.
5. As stated above, this procedure gives the receiving stations complete flexibility to
either re-transmit the audio received with the EAS activation or re-voice the
message with the receiving station personnel.
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San Antonio, TX I.oca1 Area Plan
May 1, 21102 Revision
APPENDIX D-1: ACTNATION MESSAGE PROCEDURES & SCRIPT
AMBER ALERT
ORIGINATING AGENCY:
CONTACT PERSON:
PHONE NUMBER:
OR:
We have just confirmed a child abduction in our.jurisdiction. Please
broadcast the following information through the Emergency Alert System.
At approximately (lime) . (age) year old
(Full
was abducted fmm
in (City) ,Texas.
is a (race) (sex)
Stands {height) feet tall, weights approximately (weight) pounds.
Has (Color) hair and (Color) eyes.
was last seen wearing (clothing description)
The suspect is described as (desciption)
He/She was last seen traveling (direction) on
Ina (vehicle
If you have information or have seen this child, please call your local law enforcement agency or
911 immediately.
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San Antonio, T7C Local Area Plan
May I; 20112 ]tevision
APPENDIX E: CABLE OVERRIDE
To prevent repetition of the same EAS messages, cable systems and wire]ess systems shall not
interrupt programming of any broadcast station which carries its own news or weather related
emergency information with state or local EAS messages or cable-originated required weekly or
monthly tests.
To qualify for a cable override agreement, the local broadcast station must meet the following
requirements:
1. The ability to originate live news programming from a studio facility.
2. The station must have direct access to weather equipment at the studio facility to track
severe local weather wnditions.
3. The ability to generate and broadcast video crawls over network or local program-
ming to advise the public of weather conditions or other emergency situations.
4. The station's master control center is staffed at all times when the station is on the air.
5. The General Manager of the station shall certify the above conditions to each cable
system that retransmits their signal to exempt the station from cable system
equipment placing video crawls over the programming of the broadcast station.
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San Antonio,.'I'~,}.pcal Area, Plan
May 1,~Qp2,1Reviaion , ;~
APPENDIX F: GLOSSARY
EAN (Emergency Action Notification) - A notice to all broadcast stations, subject cable
systems, participating industry entities, and to the general public that the EAS has been activated
for a national emergency.
EAT (Emergency Action Termination) - A notice to all broadcast stations, subject cable
systems, participating industry entities, and to the general public that the EAN has terminated.
EAS (Emergency Alert System) - A system for the rapid dissemination of emergency
information through radio stations, television stations and cable systems.
EAS Decoder-A receiving device that monitors two assigned sources for incoming emergency
messages. The decoder can be programmed with filters to activate only for specific emergencies
in designated geographic areas.
EAS Encoder - A device capable of transmitting digitally coded emergency messages in the EAS
format.
EAS Endec - A combination Encoder /Decoder.
EOM -End of Message; A character string comprised of four ASCII "N" characters broadcast
three times at the tail of the EAS message as a termination signal for EAS Decoders.
EAS Header- A digitally wded character string that is broadcast three at the beginning of an
EAS Alert. The header contains codes that identify the originator, the event type, the affect
locations, the duration of the emergency event, the time and date of transmission, and an ID of
the sending station.
);vent Code -Describes why the EAS was activated. The FCC has defined several, mostly
weather, related events. (See Appendix A)
LP (Local Primary) - A source of EAS Local Area messages. An LP source is responsible for
coordinating the carriage of common emergency messages from sources such as the National
Weather Service or local emergency management offices.
NIC (National Infonnation Center) -Messages received from national networks that are not
broadcast at the time of original transmission must be recorded locally by LP sources for
transmission at the eazliest opportunity.
NN (Non-participating National) -Stations that have elected not to participate in the National
level EAS and hold an authorization letter to that effect. Upon activation of the national level
EAS, NN sources aze required to broadcast the EAS codes, Attention Signal, the sign-off
announcement in the EAS Operating Handbook and then remove their signal from the air. After
the sign-off announcement, NN stations must monitor for the Emergency Action Termination
message.
APPENDIX E: GLOSSARY
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San Antonio,laC,locat Arca Plan
May 1, 2002Itevision
NP (National Primary) - A source of EAS Presidential messages
NWS -Acronym for National Weather Service
Ori¢inator -Describes who originally activated the EAS. Included are Broadcast or Cable, Civil
Authorities, the National Weather Service, a Primary Entry Point Station, or the national ]evel
Emergency Action Notification Network.
PEP (Primary Entry Point) - A nationwide network of broadcast stations connected with
government activation points.
PN (Participating National) -Stations that transmit EAS National, State or Local Area
messages. The EAS transmissions of PN sources are intended for direct public reception.
RMT (Required Monthly Test) - A test initiated by the LP-1 or LP-2 stations during the first full
week of the month. All broadcasters and cable operators must retransmit the RMT within 15
minutes of receiving the test.
RWT (Required Weekly Test) - A weekly system test that must be transmitted and received by
all broadcasters and cable operators. The RWT is only required on the weeks without an RMT.
SP (State Primary) - A source of EAS State messages. These messages can originate from the
Governor or a designated representative in the State Emergency Operating Center (EOC) or State
Capital. Messages are sent via the State Relay Network.
SR (State Relay) - A relay source of state EAS messages. It is part of the State Relay Network
and relays National and State common emergency messages into Local Areas.
State Relay Network - A network composed of State Relay (SR) sources, ]eased common carrier
communication facilities or any other available communication facilities. The network
distributes State EAS messages originated by the Governor or designated officials.
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San Antonio, TX localArea Plan
May 1, 2002 Revision
Texas Amber Alert System
Statewide Implerrcentation Training
September 2002
Session Attending Lubbock El Paso Dallas
Houston San Antonio McAllen
Mailing Address
City Zip
Telephone
Fax
E-Mail
Amber Alert Data for your Agency
24 Hour Point of Contact (if someone other than you)
Street Address
City County Zips
24 Hour Telephone Number
24 Hour Fax
24 Hour E-Mail
Texas Amber Alert System
Statewide Implementation Ti^aining
September 2002
September 3 Holiday Inn Civic Center
801 Avenue Q
Lubbock
806-763-1200
September 3 El Paso Marriott
1600 Airway Blvd.
El Paso
915-779-3300
September 4 Holiday Inn Select
3300 W. Mockingbird Lane
Dallas
214-654-1030
September 4 Houston Hobby Airport Marriott
9100 Gulf Freeway
Houston
713-943-7979
September 5 Doubletree Hotel -North Star
37 NE Loop 410
San Antonio
210-366-2424
September 5 Embassy Suites
1800 S. 2"a Street
McAllen
956-686-3000
9 a.m.
3 p.m.
9 a.m.
3 p.m.
9 a.m.
3 p.m.
Date
David C. Ostmo
Director of Operations
KABB-N / KRRT
4335 NW Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78229
RE: Emergency Alert System Local Plan
County /City intends to participate in the Emergency Alert System
Local Plan for the San Antonio Operational area that is serves the Alamo Area
Council of Governments region.
Please include County/City in all planning efforts. The
County/City EAS point of contact is ,who can be contacted at
Signed