FCC FCC Emergency Communications and Public Safety 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and which federal agency oversees it jointly with the FCC?
- A national warning system overseen jointly by the FCC and FEMA (Correct answer)
- A system managed solely by the Department of Homeland Security
- A local emergency notification system operated by state governments
- A broadcast industry voluntary alert system with no federal oversight
Correct answer: A national warning system overseen jointly by the FCC and FEMA
The EAS is a national public warning system that the FCC administers jointly with FEMA and the National Weather Service to deliver emergency alerts to the public.
Question 2: What is the FCC's Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system?
- A system that delivers geographically targeted emergency alerts to cell phones in an affected area (Correct answer)
- A voluntary opt-in wireless notification service
- An FCC licensing program for emergency wireless networks
- A Bluetooth-based short-range emergency alert system
Correct answer: A system that delivers geographically targeted emergency alerts to cell phones in an affected area
WEA is an FCC-mandated system through which wireless carriers broadcast emergency alerts — including AMBER alerts and imminent threat warnings — to all compatible mobile devices in a geographic area.
Question 3: What does FirstNet stand for and what is its significance to the FCC?
- First Responder Network Authority — a broadband network for public safety users authorized by Congress, with FCC oversight of spectrum (Correct answer)
- Federal Integrated Radio Safety Network — an FCC-licensed emergency radio service
- First National Emergency Technology — an FCC program for 911 upgrades
- Federal Network for Emergency Telecommunications — a FEMA program
Correct answer: First Responder Network Authority — a broadband network for public safety users authorized by Congress, with FCC oversight of spectrum
FirstNet is the First Responder Network Authority, which manages a dedicated 700 MHz broadband network for public safety, operating under spectrum licensed through the FCC.
Question 4: What is the FCC's role in regulating 911 and Enhanced 911 (E911) services?
- The FCC requires wireless carriers and VoIP providers to support 911/E911 location capabilities (Correct answer)
- The FCC directly operates the national 911 network
- The FCC has no jurisdiction over 911 — it is regulated entirely by states
- The FCC only regulates 911 for landline telephone companies
Correct answer: The FCC requires wireless carriers and VoIP providers to support 911/E911 location capabilities
The FCC mandates that wireless carriers and VoIP providers support 911 emergency calling, including E911 location capabilities that allow dispatchers to locate callers.
Question 5: What is a 'Presidential Alert' under the Wireless Emergency Alerts system?
- The highest-level WEA alert sent under presidential authority for national emergencies, from which users cannot opt out (Correct answer)
- A voluntary presidential endorsement of commercial wireless services
- An alert sent by the White House Communications Agency for scheduled events
- A test alert simulating a presidential emergency directive
Correct answer: The highest-level WEA alert sent under presidential authority for national emergencies, from which users cannot opt out
Presidential Alerts are the highest tier of WEA messages, sent under presidential authority during a national emergency, and unlike other WEA alerts, they cannot be blocked or opted out of by consumers.
Question 6: What is the FCC's 'Disaster Information Reporting System' (DIRS)?
- A voluntary system for communications providers to report the status of their networks during disasters (Correct answer)
- A mandatory FCC system for reporting all communications outages
- A FEMA database for tracking emergency communications assets
- An FCC licensing system for disaster relief radio operations
Correct answer: A voluntary system for communications providers to report the status of their networks during disasters
DIRS is a voluntary web-based system through which communications service providers report the operational status of their networks during disasters and emergencies to help the FCC and government assess communications infrastructure.
FCC FCC Emergency Communications and Public Safety 1
What is the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and which federal agency oversees it jointly with the FCC?