Goto Section: 11.21 | 11.32 | Table of Contents

FCC 11.31
Revised as of October 1, 2005
Goto Year:2004 | 2006
Sec.  11.31   EAS protocol.

   (a) The EAS uses a four part message for an emergency activation of the EAS.
   The four parts are: Preamble and EAS Header Codes; audio Attention Signal;
   message; and, Preamble and EAS End Of Message (EOM) Codes.

   (1) The Preamble and EAS Codes must use Audio Frequency Shift Keying at a
   rate of 520.83 bits per second to transmit the codes. Mark frequency is
   2083.3 Hz and space frequency is 1562.5 Hz. Mark and space time must be 1.92
   milliseconds. Characters are ASCII seven bit characters as defined in ANSI
   X3.4–1977 ending with an eighth null bit (either 0 or 1) to constitute a
   full eight-bit byte.

   (2) The Attention Signal must be made up of the fundamental frequencies of
   853 and 960 Hz. The two tones must be transmitted simultaneously. The
   Attention Signal must be transmitted after the EAS header codes.

   (3) The message may be audio, video or text.

   (b) The ASCII dash and plus symbols are required and may not be used for any
   other purpose. FM or TV call signs must use a slash ASCII character number
   47 (/) in lieu of a dash.

   (c) The EAS protocol, including any codes, must not be amended, extended or
   abridged without FCC authorization. The EAS protocol and message format are
   specified in the following representation.

   Examples are provided in FCC Public Notices.

   [PREAMBLE]ZCZC-ORG-EEE-PSSCCC+TTTT-JJJHHMM-LLLLLLLL-(one second pause)

   [PREAMBLE]ZCZC-ORG-EEE-PSSCCC+TTTT-JJJHHMM-LLLLLLLL-(one second pause)

   [PREAMBLE]ZCZC-ORG-EEE-PSSCCC+TTTT-JJJHHMM-LLLLLLLL-(at least a one second
   pause)

   (transmission of 8 to 25 seconds of Attention Signal)

   (transmission of audio, video or text messages)

   (at least a one second pause)

   [PREAMBLE]NNNN (one second pause)

   [PREAMBLE]NNNN (one second pause)

   [PREAMBLE]NNNN (at least one second pause)

   [PREAMBLE] This is a consecutive string of bits (sixteen bytes of AB
   hexadecimal [8 bit byte 10101011]) sent to clear the system, set AGC and set
   asynchronous decoder clocking cycles. The preamble must be transmitted
   before each header and End Of Message code.

   ZCZC—This is the identifier, sent as ASCII characters ZCZC to indicate the
   start of ASCII code.

   ORG—This is the Originator code and indicates who originally initiated the
   activation of the EAS. These codes are specified in paragraph (d) of this
   section.

   EEE—This is the Event code and indicates the nature of the EAS activation.
   The codes are specified in paragraph (e) of this section. The Event codes
   must be compatible with the codes used by the NWS Weather Radio Specific
   Area Message Encoder (WRSAME).

   PSSCCC—This the Location code and indicates the geographic area affected by
   the EAS alert. There may be 31 Location codes in an EAS alert. The Location
   code uses the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) numbers as
   described by the U.S. Department of Commerce in National Institute of
   Standards and Technology publication FIPS PUB 6–4. Each state is assigned an
   SS number as specified in paragraph (f) of this section. Each county and
   some cities are assigned a CCC number. A CCC number of 000 refers to an
   entire State or Territory. P defines county subdivisions as follows: 0 = all
   or an unspecified portion of a county, 1 = Northwest, 2 = North, 3 =
   Northeast, 4 = West, 5 = Central, 6 = East, 7 = Southwest, 8 = South, 9 =
   Southeast. Other numbers may be designated later for special applications.
   The use of county subdivisions will probably be rare and generally for oddly
   shaped or unusually large counties. Any subdivisions must be defined and
   agreed to by the local officials prior to use.

   +TTTT—This indicates the valid time period of a message in 15 minute
   segments up to one hour and then in 30 minute segments beyond one hour;
   i.e., +0015, +0030, +0045, +0100, +0430 and +0600.

   JJJHHMM—This is the day in Julian Calendar days (JJJ) of the year and the
   time in hours and minutes (HHMM) when the message was initially released by
   the originator using 24 hour Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

   LLLLLLLL—This is the identification of the broadcast station, cable system,
   BRS/EBS station, NWS office, etc., transmitting or retransmitting the
   message. These codes will be automatically affixed to all outgoing messages
   by the EAS encoder.

   NNNN—This is the End of Message (EOM) code sent as a string of four ASCII N
   characters.

   (d) The only originator codes are:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Originator                            ORG Code
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Broadcast station or cable system.............  EAS
Civil authorities.............................  CIV
National Weather Service......................  WXR
Primary Entry Point System....................  PEP
------------------------------------------------------------------------

   (e) The following Event (EEE) codes are presently authorized:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Nature of Activation                      Event Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Codes (Required):
Emergency Action Notification (National only).  EAN
Emergency Action Termination (National only)..  EAT
National Information Center...................  NIC
National Periodic Test........................  NPT
Required Monthly Test.........................  RMT
Required Weekly Test..........................  RWT
State and Local Codes (Optional):
Administrative Message........................  ADR
Avalanche Warning.............................  AVW\1\
Avalanche Watch...............................  AVA\1\
Blizzard Warning..............................  BZW
Child Abduction Emergency.....................  CAE\1\
Civil Danger Warning..........................  CDW\1\
Civil Emergency Message.......................  CEM
Coastal Flood Warning.........................  CFW\1\
Coastal Flood Watch...........................  CFA\1\
Dust Storm Warning............................  DSW\1\
Earthquake Warning............................  EQW\1\
Evacuation Immediate..........................  EVI
Fire Warning..................................  FRW\1\
Flash Flood Warning...........................  FFW
Flash Flood Watch.............................  FFA
Flash Flood Statement.........................  FFS
Flood Warning.................................  FLW
Flood Watch...................................  FLA
Flood Statement...............................  FLS
Hazardous Materials Warning...................  HMW\1\
High Wind Warning.............................  HWW
High Wind Watch...............................  HWA
Hurricane Warning.............................  HUW
Hurricane Watch...............................  HUA
Hurricane Statement...........................  HLS
Law Enforcement Warning.......................  LEW\1\
Local Area Emergency..........................  LAE\1\
Network Message Notification..................  NMN\1\
911 Telephone Outage Emergency................  TOE\1\
Nuclear Power Plant Warning...................  NUW\1\
Practice/Demo Warning.........................  DMO
Radiological Hazard Warning...................  RHW\1\
Severe Thunderstorm Warning...................  SVR
Severe Thunderstorm Watch.....................  SVA
Severe Weather Statement......................  SVS
Shelter in Place Warning......................  SPW\1\
Special Marine Warning........................  SMW\1\
Special Weather Statement.....................  SPS
Tornado Warning...............................  TOR
Tornado Watch.................................  TOA
Tropical Storm Warning........................  TRW\1\
Tropical Storm Watch..........................  TRA\1\
Tsunami Warning...............................  TSW
Tsunami Watch.................................  TSA
Volcano Warning...............................  VOW\1\
Winter Storm Warning..........................  WSW
Winter Storm Watch............................  WSA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Effective May 16, 2002, broadcast stations, cable systems and
  wireless cable systems may upgrade their existing EAS equipment to add
  these event codes on a voluntary basis until the equipment is
  replaced. All models of EAS equipment manufactured after August 1,
  2003 must be capable of receiving and transmitting these event codes.
  Broadcast stations, cable systems and wireless cable systems which
  replace their EAS equipment after February 1, 2004 must install
  equipment that is capable of receiving and transmitting these event
  codes.

   (f) The State, Territory and Offshore (Marine Area) FIPS number codes (SS)
   are as follows. County FIPS numbers (CCC) are contained in the State EAS
   Mapbook.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  FIPS#
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State:
  AL...........................................................       01
  AK...........................................................       02
  AZ...........................................................       04
  AR...........................................................       05
  CA...........................................................       06
  CO...........................................................       08
  CT...........................................................       09
  DE...........................................................       10
  DC...........................................................       11
  FL...........................................................       12
  GA...........................................................       13
  HI...........................................................       15
  ID...........................................................       16
  IL...........................................................       17
  IN...........................................................       18
  IA...........................................................       19
  KS...........................................................       20
  KY...........................................................       21
  LA...........................................................       22
  ME...........................................................       23
  MD...........................................................       24
  MA...........................................................       25
  MI...........................................................       26
  MN...........................................................       27
  MS...........................................................       28
  MO...........................................................       29
  MT...........................................................       30
  NE...........................................................       31
  NV...........................................................       32
  NH...........................................................       33
  NJ...........................................................       34
  NM...........................................................       35
  NY...........................................................       36
  NC...........................................................       37
  ND...........................................................       38
  OH...........................................................       39
  OK...........................................................       40
  OR...........................................................       41
  PA...........................................................       42
  RI...........................................................       44
  SC...........................................................       45
  SD...........................................................       46
  TN...........................................................       47
  TX...........................................................       48
  UT...........................................................       49
  VT...........................................................       50
  VA...........................................................       51
  WA...........................................................       53
  WV...........................................................       54
  WI...........................................................       55
  WY...........................................................       56
Terr.:
  AS...........................................................       60
  FM...........................................................       64
  GU...........................................................       66
  MH...........................................................       68
  MH...........................................................       68
  PR...........................................................       72
  PW...........................................................       70
  UM...........................................................       74
  VI...........................................................       78
Offshore (Marine Areas) \1\:
  Eastern North Pacific Ocean, and along U.S. West Coast from         57
   Canadian border to Mexican border...........................
  North Pacific Ocean near Alaska, and along Alaska coastline,        58
   including the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska.............
  Central Pacific Ocean, including Hawaiian waters.............       59
  South Central Pacific Ocean, including American Samoa waters.       61
  Western Pacific Ocean, including Mariana Island waters.......       65
  Western North Atlantic Ocean, and along U.S. East Coast, from       73
   Canadian border south to Currituck Beach Light, N.C.........
  Western North Atlantic Ocean, and along U.S. East Coast,            75
   south of Currituck Beach Light, N.C., following the
   coastline into Gulf of Mexico to Bonita Beach, FL.,
   including the Caribbean.....................................
  Gulf of Mexico, and along the U.S. Gulf Coast from the              77
   Mexican border to Bonita Beach, FL..........................
  Lake Superior................................................       91
  Lake Michigan................................................       92
  Lake Huron...................................................       93
  Lake St. Clair...............................................       94
  Lake Erie....................................................       96
  Lake Ontario.................................................       97
  St. Lawrence River above St. Regis...........................      98
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Effective May 16, 2002, broadcast stations, cable systems and
  wireless cable systems may upgrade their existing EAS equipment to add
  these marine area location codes on a voluntary basis until the
  equipment is replaced. All models of EAS equipment manufactured after
  August 1, 2003, must be capable of receiving and transmitting these
  marine area location codes. Broadcast stations, cable systems and
  wireless cable systems which replace their EAS equipment after
  February 1, 2004, must install equipment that is capable of receiving
  and transmitting these location codes.

   [ 59 FR 67092 , Dec. 28, 1994, as amended at  60 FR 55999 , Nov. 6, 1995;  61 FR 54952 , Oct. 23, 1996;  63 FR 29663 , June 1, 1998;  67 FR 18508 , Apr. 16, 2002;
    67 FR 77174 , Dec. 17, 2002;  69 FR 72031 , Dec. 10, 2004]


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