WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 13, 2021 – The House Appropriations Committee today recommended $20 million for public broadcasting’s Next Generation Warning System within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.
This funding would help support public broadcasting’s work in alert and warning and public safety communications.
“America’s Public Television Stations are most grateful that the House Appropriations Committee has recommended an appropriation of $20 million for public broadcasting’s Next Generation Warning System for Fiscal Year 2022,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations.
“Public broadcasting stations reach 99% of the American population, and are the only local media in many communities, making our work in alert and warning critical to the safety of people and communities throughout the country.
“Public television’s digital infrastructure currently provides the backbone for emergency alert, public safety, first responder, and homeland security services in many States and communities, including many local stations that serve as their States’ primary Emergency Alert Service (EAS) hub for severe weather and AMBER alerts.
“In addition, public television has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system that enables cell subscribers to receive geo-targeted text messages in the event of an emergency — reaching them wherever they are in times of crisis. In the first 10 months of the pandemic 500 COVID-19 alerts were sent out using the WEA system.
“This new program will enhance public broadcasting stations’ public safety mission in material ways by allowing us to invest in new technology that will improve the mobility, interactivity, ubiquity and reliability of our alert and warning infrastructure,” Butler said.
“Public television stations have worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate the effectiveness of our public safety communications capability in flood control and evacuation, school shooting scenarios, large crowd management, over-water emergency communications and other life-saving applications.
“Public television stations have also partnered with the California Office of Emergency Services to reduce the early earthquake warning standard from 30 seconds to less than 3 seconds. We’ve built a Statewide Emergency Communications Network with the State of Tennessee, public media stations in Florida created an emergency network that delivers up-to-the minute weather and news reports during severe weather events in Florida and South Carolina, and we’ve pursued many other alert and warning initiatives across America.
“This funding will make it possible to do more of this work, more effectively, in more places, helping save more lives and property in emergency situations.
“Thanks to the bipartisan leadership of Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger, and Subcommittee Chair Roybal-Allard and Ranking Member Fleischmann, and the full membership of the appropriations committee, public television stations will now be much better prepared to do our part to keep America safe.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org