FCC: Presidential emergency alerts to be tested

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The FCC is planning an upgrade to the tests by including presidential announcements in the system.

Lisa Fowlkes, deputy chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the FCC, explained to the Federal Drive the Presidential Alert isn't new.

"The primary goal is to provide the President with a mechanism to communicate with the American public during times of national emergency," said Fowlkes. The change, she said, is that prior to last week's order there was no rule in place to call for or allow a test from top to bottom.

CMAS would allow three kinds of text messaging or wireless alert to be sent, said Fowlkes:

• Presidential Alerts - "Which would be the same as what the president might issue or FEMA might issue through the EAS system,
• Imminent Threat Alerts - Which Fowlkes said would warn when "there's a hurricane coming or a tornado coming," and then the
• Child Abduction Emergency/AMBER Alerts - Alerts related to missing or endangered children due to an abduction or runaway situation.

Fowlkes said the CMAS is slated to begin deployment in April 2012.

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