July 3rd Deadline for ETRS Form One – National EAS Test

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has issued a public notice advising of the planned 2019 National EAS Test and associated deadlines.  As in previous years, the National EAS Test will require every station to make three filings in the EAS Test Report System (ETRS).

First, all EAS participants are required to update their identifying information in ETRS Form One no later than July 3, 2019.  A separate copy of ETRS Form One must be filed for each EAS decoder, EAS encoder and units combining decoder/encoder functions.  ETRS is already available for EAS Participants to make these filings – this link is the ETRS login page.  FCC CORES Usernames will be required to access the ETRS forms.  Filers can complete the annual requirement by updating previously filed Form Ones in ETRS – simply click on the “My Filings” menu option and then click on the record for that form.

The EAS National Test is scheduled for August 7, 2019 at 2 p.m. EDT.  All EAS participants are required to participate in the test.  Unlike in previous tests, the IPAWS system will be be utilized – only the broadcast distribution “daisy chain” will be used.  So stations should update and be sure their systems are properly programmed to receive the EAS test message from their LP-1 and LP-2 sources.  By 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 7, stations must file ETRS Form Two reporting test receipt and distribution times, as well as the source of the received test message.

Finally, all EAS participants must file ETRS Form Three no later than September 23, 2019 to report any issues or problems experienced with the national test. The FCC will host a free EAS webinar for low power broadcasters on July 11, 2019 from 1:00 – 1:45 p.m. EDT.