EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) PROCEDURES
| Purpose | Routine Activation | |
| General | Detailed Activation Procedures | |
| Concept | Emergency Activation | |
| Communications | ||
| Procedures | State | Counties |
I. PURPOSE
This annex establishes procedures for the activation of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio system in case of an incident at the McGuire Nuclear Station (MNS).
II. GENERAL
This annex recognizes the State of North Carolina and the County of Mecklenburg as the lead coordinating agencies in North Carolina for public notification and warning in case of an accident/incident at the McGuire Nuclear Station. This recognition, however, imposes no restrictions on the Counties of Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious in meeting their citizen's needs. It merely vests a collective trust in one governmental agency to act as the catalyst for initiating an event common to several parties which must be carefully coordinated. Acceptance of, or participation in, this plan by the broadcast media shall not be deemed as relinquishment of program control, and shall not be deemed to prohibit a broadcast licensee from exercising independent discretion and responsibility in any given situation.
III. CONCEPT
A. Transmission of the EAS/NOAA notification message to the public will normally be by the North Carolina State EOC through the Local Primary-1 (LP-1), and/or Local Primary-2 (LP-2) stations and NOAA Weather Radio. The activation of the EAS and the NOAA weather radio system will be a function of the lead county, back up county, or the state Emergency Operations Center. EAS and NOAA may be activated under one of three different situations:
1. An incident in which the counties have direction and control, and the State is unable to assume immediate effective coordination.
2. The State of North Carolina has established the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) and has assumed direction and control at the request of one of the counties, or the Governor has issued a Disaster Declaration.
3. Plant declaration of "General Emergency" with a recommendation for PROTECTIVE ACTION to be taken and the Mecklenburg County Warning Point telecommunicator is UNABLE to immediately contact any key official.
B. EAS and NOAA, to be preceded by siren sounding, will always be activated at a Site Area Emergency or General Emergency after a Protective Action Recommendation (PAR) has been received from the McGuire Nuclear Station and a Protective Action Decision (PAD) has been agreed upon by the state and/or counties.
C. The initial activation of the sirens will consist of four, three‑minute periods. These three‑minute periods will be interrupted only by intervals to reactivate the siren encoder. Thereafter, the necessity for and number of soundings will be at the judgment and discretion of the official responsible for activating the system. But reactivation will have one sounding of the siren for one minute each.
D. Immediately following the transmission of the notification message to the EAS and NOAA stations, selected Special News Broadcast messages (See Annex D) will be transmitted to the media to provide the affected population with detailed emergency instructions. A Special News Broadcast is defined as minimum essential information that must reach the affected population for them to immediately react to a protective action recommendation. These messages will be sent in the following manner:
1. State Control ‑ A copy of the appropriate EAS/NOAA Notification Message and Special News Broadcast Message will be immediately transmitted by telecopier to State Warning Point, State EOC, the County EOC's and the Joint Information Center (when activated).
2. County Control ‑ Mecklenburg County would immediately transmit by telecopier a copy of the appropriate EAS/NOAA Notification Message, Special News Broadcast message to all primary radio and television stations in the local area, to State of North Carolina and other County EOC's and Joint Information Center (when activated).
3. Backup transmission of Special News Broadcast to radio and television stations will be via commercial telephone.
E. Additional Special News Broadcasts will be transmitted frequently during an escalating situation to provide the affected population with follow‑up emergency instructions. It is important that all emergency instructions be clear and concise for transmission to the media through public information channels.
IV. COMMUNICATIONS
A. Primary communications with EAS and NOAA will be the telephone.
B. The Selective Signaling System is a restricted network and can only be accessed by dialing a special access code number. The special access code number is restricted to the North Carolina State, Mecklenburg and Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious Counties Communications Centers.
C. Another primary communications system, known as the "Decision Line," is installed at the Mecklenburg, Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious Counties EOC's, North Carolina State EOC (Raleigh), and Duke Power EOF. This restricted dial up system is primarily for siren, EAS and Emergency Information message coordination.
D. The authentication code list for verifying EAS/NOAA activation will be provided to authorized agencies by North Carolina Emergency Management.
E. Backup communications is available to NOAA on the National Warning System (NAWAS) telephone and to EAS via commercial telephone.
F. EAS Local Primary (LP-1, LP-2)
1. LP‑1 for Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Mecklenburg Counties
Station: WLNK‑FM
2. LP‑1 for Fictitious County
Station: WFMX‑FM
F.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Weather Radio Station: National Weather Service ‑ Greer, SC
V. PROCEDURES
1. North Carolina EOC
(a) The person needing to activate the EAS will contact the North Carolina EOC using the procedures listed in Appendix 3. Calling the North Carolina EOC connects directly into the E-Z Voice Recorder.
(b) The caller will have a written copy of one of the attached Notification Message scripts ready to be broadcast. Appendix 1 will be used when NO radiological release has occurred and Appendix 2 will be used when a radiological release HAS occurred.
2. County Warning Point or EOC
(a) If the person needing to activate the EAS CANNOT CONTACT the North Carolina EOC, they will contact the LP-1 station listed in paragraph IV.F.1.
(b) The caller will have a written copy of one of the attached Notification Message scripts ready to be broadcast. Appendix 1 will be used when NO radiological release has occurred and Appendix 2 will be used when a radiological release HAS occurred.
(c) Give name, title, political subdivision represented and the purpose for the call. Be prepared to authenticate the security code.
(d) Upon signal that the station is ready to record, read the prepared Notification Message in an authoritative clear manner.
(e) Following recording of the EAS Notification Message, transmit a hard copy of the Notification Message to the LP-1 station
B. Detailed Activation
Procedures
1. County EOC's Exercising Direction and Control.
a. On receipt of a PROTECTIVE ACTION recommendation from the McGuire Nuclear Station, Mecklenburg County Emergency Management will activate the Decision Line polling the State of North Carolina and Counties of Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious. Mecklenburg County will recommended the EAS message and request concurrence. A proposed time will be made for siren activation in coordination with all agencies.
b. If concurrence is not received on the first call, Mecklenburg County Emergency Management will, in no more than three minutes, re-poll the State of North Carolina and Counties of Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious for their concurrence. After all parties agree, or after appropriate changes are made, Mecklenburg County will contact the North Carolina EOC and NOAA, to transmit the agreed upon EAS message. They will request tone alert radios be activated concurrently with the sirens and EAS be activated three to five minutes after the established siren activation time.
c. Following recording of the EAS Notification Message, Mecklenburg County Emergency Management Public Information Officer will transmit a hard copy of the Notification Message to the LP-1 station.
d. All counties will then direct their siren activation points to activate the siren system at the previously agreed upon time.
e. In the event that sirens do not fully activate, back-up route alerting by the individual counties will be accomplished.
2. The State of North Carolina has established the SERT and assumed direction and control.
a. Upon receipt of a PROTECTIVE ACTION recommendation from the McGuire Nuclear Station, the SERT Leader will activate the Decision line polling Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, Fictitious and Mecklenburg counties. The SERT Leader will recommended the EAS to be used and request concurrence. A proposed time will be made for siren activation in coordination with all agencies.
b. If concurrence is not received on the first call, the SERT Leader will in no more than three minutes re-poll Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, Fictitious and Mecklenburg counties for their concurrence. After all parties agree, or after appropriate changes are made, NC EAS Coordinator or Communications Center will contact The LP-1 station and NOAA to transmit the agreed upon EAS message. They will request tone alert radios be activated concurrently with the sirens and EAS be activated three to five minutes after the established siren activation time.
c. All counties will then direct their siren activation points to activate the siren encoders at the previously agreed upon time. The SERT Leader may elect to use a siren countdown for activation.
d. In the event that sirens do not fully activate, back-up route alerting by the individual counties will be accomplished.
1. An Emergency Action Level of "General Emergency" has been declared by the station and the Mecklenburg County Warning Point is UNABLE to notify any key official within five minutes.
a. The Mecklenburg County warning point telecommunicator will activate the Selective Signaling System (SSS), contacting the warning point in Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious Counties. The warning point telecommunicator will recommended the EAS message to be used for the situation and request concurrence. After all parties agree, or after appropriate changes are made, Mecklenburg County will contact the North Carolina EOC, and NOAA, to transmit the agreed upon EAS message. They will request tone alert radios be activated concurrently with the sirens and EAS be activated three to five minutes after the established siren activation time. The North Carolina EOC or EAS LP‑1 and NOAA radio stations must be contacted by telephone to coordinate the sounding of the sirens and the activation of EAS and NOAA.
b. Mecklenburg County has been charged with the responsibility of coordinating the simultaneous activation of these critical warning systems and coordinating with Catawba, Gaston, Fictitious, and Fictitious County. The Selective Signaling System (SSS) should remain open until all systems have been coordinated and activated.
c. Establish a siren activation time and poll the counties for their concurrence. Request that NOAA activate concurrently with the siren activation, and that EAS activate three to five minutes after the established siren activation time. EAS and NOAA will broadcast one of the attached EAS Notification Messages.
A. State
1. Governor, or the designated representative
2. Secretary, DCCPS
3. Director, EM (SERT leader)
4. SERT operations officer
B. Counties
1. County Manager
2. County Emergency Management Coordinator or alternate
3. Chairman of the County Commissioners or designated representative
NOTE: While any of the above officials may request the activation of the EAS system, ONLY the County Emergency Management Coordinator has the authentication codes required to transmit the message.