FTC TO TAKE PART IN INAUGURAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) NATIONWIDE TEST ON NOVEMBER 9 (11.2.11)
Representatives from Farmers Telephone Cooperative (FTC) Inc. today announced that the cooperative will take part in the inaugural nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9.
At this time, FTC Vision customers can expect an interruption in programming across all Vision channels.
The test will last for approximately three minutes; however this could vary across the country. While state and local EAS messages are limited to just two minutes, there is no time limit for national EAS alerts. To evaluate whether the system properly interprets the national message code in the national EAS test, the message duration must be longer than two minutes.
During the test, listeners will hear a message indicating that “This is a test.” Although the EAS Test may resemble the periodic, monthly EAS tests that most Americans are already familiar with, there will be some differences in what viewers will see and hear. The audio message will be the same for all EAS participants; however, due to limitations in the EAS, the video test message scroll might not be the same or indicate that “This is a test.”
The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism. EAS participants currently participate in state-level monthly tests and local-level weekly tests but no top-down review of the entire system has ever been undertaken. The Federal Communications Commission, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will analyze the results of this test and will work together with EAS stakeholders to make improvements to the system as appropriate.
“At FTC, customer safety is a primary concern for the entire cooperative and we’re proud to be taking part in the upcoming nationwide EAS test,” said Chip Chase, FTC public relations director. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as we run this test to ensure we can properly inform them in the case of a real emergency taking place in our service area.”
To learn more about this national EAS test, visit http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm#2.
About FTC
Founded in 1952, Farmers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. is a local, multifaceted telecommunications company headquartered in Kingstree, S.C. Serving more than 60,000 customers within a coverage area of 3,000 square miles, FTC provides cutting-edge technology to businesses and residents of Williamsburg, Lee, Sumter, Clarendon and Florence counties.
A veteran of the telephone industry, FTC has evolved into a state-of-the-art organization offering phone, digital TV, Internet, security and wireless. Customers can choose from a wide array of products and services at any of the company’s eight full-service business offices.
For additional information about FTC, call 888-218-5050 or visit http://www.ftc-i.net or http://www.facebook.com/FarmersTelephoneCooperative.
