GAO issues warnings on emergency warning system

The Government Accountability Office said the reliability of the nation’s emergency warning system is questionable, and that a federal advisory panel addressing the integration of wireless into the system, as well as other issues, may not be sufficient for sorting out technical, cultural, funding and other challenges.
The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and major hurricanes in recent years have prompted more intense congressional efforts to improve an emergency alert system developed during the Cold War and largely dependent on participation by television, radio, cable TV and satellite radio licensees.
The wireless industry opposes mandatory participation, but “would be willing to participate in a national emergency alert system that reflects the recommendations of the advisory panel established by the Warning, Alert and Response Network Act,” according to an industry representative interviewed by the GAO. Congress approved the WARN Act last year.
GAO said the Federal Emergency Management Agency said modernization of the emergency alert system requires consulting, coordination and cooperating with a diverse group of stakeholders. But GAO found such a forum does not exist.
“Without such a forum, coordination among the diverse stakeholders could occur on an ad-hoc basis, but there would be no systematic means of bringing all interested public and private stakeholders together for a comprehensive, strategic review of the processes, standards, systems and strategies related to the implementation of the integrated public alert and warning system,” the report stated.