[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 78 (Friday, May 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF READICALL NATIONAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing a bill that 
will greatly improve the federal government's ability to communicate 
with our citizens when there is a terrorist attack or other serious 
emergency at the national, regional or local levels.
  My bill will require the Department of Homeland Security to set up an 
emergency alert system which can contact virtually every telephone 
subscriber in the United States within minutes, to convey to them vital 
information about what's happening and what they should do.
  Up until now, we have been somewhat less targeted in our approach to 
emergency warning systems, because we have relied on the mass media.
  Until now, we have used 20th century technology-television, radio, 
cable TV-to communicate with our people in times of emergency. It works 
fine if you are near a TV. But if the electricity goes out, most TVs 
and radios don't work.
  I don't want to eliminate the existing early warning system; I want 
to improve it and build on it.
  What I propose to do is establish a national emergency communications 
system based on 19th century technology, the telephone, which virtually 
every American has nearby, both at home and at work, and which usually 
works even when the lights go out.
  According to the Federal Communications Commission, roughly 104 
million households out of 109 million have landline telephone service--
over 95%. Another roughly 1.2 million have only wireless telephone 
services. Further, nearly every business in the United States has phone 
service and almost 141 million of us have cellular phones. There are 
few options for dissemination of information better than our telephone 
system, which is widely considered the best in the entire world.
  The system I am proposing would make it possible for the government 
to let people know of imminent threats, transmit official warnings, 
provide accurate information about an attack and also provide 
instructions to people in the affected areas.
  The system I propose today has an additional advantage over the 
present emergency warning system, because it could be activated at the 
block, neighborhood, city, county, state or national levels, as needed.
  I would envision perhaps a special ring on the phone, so people would 
know that an alert call is not an ordinary call. Cell phones could be 
included in the system.
  The system would be activated by order of the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, so there would be accountability in its use.
  And once a message is approved, it could go out in a very short 
period of time, by live operators or by taped message. Because the 
system I propose is based on technology and techniques that have 
already been perfected by the teleservices industry.
  I want to harness this technology to improve our homeland security.
  Emergency information is critical to all of us. When an emergency 
situation happens, you want to know who is in charge; who can, and 
will, give you accurate, reliable information; and what you should do, 
if anything, to protect yourself.
  Officials from local, county, state, federal and volunteer agencies 
work together during emergency situations. That means information may 
be available from a number of sources--different people know about 
different parts of the response effort.
  Protecting the health and safety of our fellow Americans is the 
primary goal of everyone working on the situation. Part of that effort 
focuses on giving you accurate, coordinated information about the 
emergency and what you should do to protect yourself.
  The existing National Emergency Alert System was set up several 
decades ago to allow for public notification of emergency situations. 
The system was designed to provide immediate access to the public for 
the President in times of crisis. The U.S. leadership requires a 
reliable means for communicating with the American public on short 
notice during periods of national crisis or major emergency to provide 
reassurance and direction regarding response and recovery.
  But the EAS system was developed to provide the ability to address 
the Nation on AM and FM radio, as well as television and cable 
television audio. In addition, the President or other official must be 
able to address the Nation on live television, audio and video, upon 
arrival at a designated television studio.
  Today, emergency officials rely on mass media because they have the 
technology, communications equipment, trained staff, proven ability and 
commitment to get information to the public in an emergency. Indeed, 
television reaches 98% of the homes in the United States of America. 
But, that is part of the problem that this bill hopes to fix. 
Television reaches 98% of the HOMES in the U.S. If we were all sitting 
at home, with our televisions on, tuned to a channel with a direct link 
to the Department of Homeland Security, we could all feel secure that 
we would know what to do in the event of another horrible tragedy like 
the 9/11 attacks.
  This bill seeks to develop and implement an emergency telephone alert 
system so that, in the event of a terrorist attack, all telephone 
subscribers within the affected areas or, if need be, within the entire 
United States, can receive from the Department of Homeland Security 
immediate official warnings, accurate information, notifications of an 
attack and instructions on what to do.

  The technology currently exists that would allow the Department of 
Homeland Security to notify every telephone subscriber in the United 
States within a few hours or states, cities or communities within 
minutes, giving potentially life-saving information to our citizens.
  The Secretary would collaborate with other government agencies and 
with the private sector to use existing telephone technology and 
infrastructure to relay official information to all telephone 
subscribers within an endangered area within the United States--ideally 
with a distinct ring so that the receiver of the call will instantly be 
aware of its nature and importance.
  The aim of this legislation is to keep our citizens informed in the 
terrible event that there is a national, regional or local terrorist 
emergency and present sources of communication are not simply 
available. Minutes can make a huge difference in an attack or disaster; 
accurate information pin-pointed to the affected area can make all the 
difference.

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