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The NI4CE repeater system participates in the Emergency Alert
System (aka EAS) to
provide
IMMEDIATE real time Safety of Life information to all Radio Amateurs in
the NI4CE coverage area. Many of the EAS messages heard on the system will trigger activation of SKYWARN spotters and other
emergency Amateur Radio operations.
Any alert to be aired will
be preceded with a attention
tone, computerized voice describing the nature of the emergency message, the message audio itself, followed by a repeater ID.
Here is a break down of some of the messages you will hear thru the system:
- NOAA Weather Radio from Ruskin 162.550 -and- Venice 162.400 are both
monitored for severe
weather. You will hear Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado, Special Marine, and Tropical Storm warnings aired
on the system. By monitoring both of these NOAA Weather Radio sites with the county FIPS codes each carry, it allows us to cover: Pasco, Pinellas,
Hillsborough, Polk,
Hardee, Desoto, Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
- Florida State Warning Point Alerts are also
monitored. These alerts are originated and distributed thru
Florida's
ESATCOM alert dissemination system.
- Amber Alerts issued by the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement for our local area.
- Local county Emergency Management agencies can issue very specific
messages for county specific public alerts
such as chemical spills, fires, 911 outages etc. The system is also tied
directly to EAS encoders that are located at the Hillsborough and Sarasota
county EOC's.
- And
finally, the national level Presidential Alert.
- Additionally, weekly there is a required weekly test that will ID the
repeater with no audio every Monday at 10am, and a
required monthly test with the familiar "This is a test of the ..." message that varies in time ever month. A
sample of a real test that aired on the system is downloadable online so you can
listen
to what a activation sounds like.
The NI4CE Repeater System monitors the official Tampa Bay (Florida
Operational Area 8) area LP2 EAS
Distribution Point and only is activated to re-transmit EAS messages that
are coded for our
area.
You can contact Ed Allen (WA4ISB) or Dave Anderson (KG4YZY) with any
questions you may have about the operation of EAS on the NI4CE repeater
system.
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A non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization to promote Amateur
Radio and Emergency Communications on Florida's West Coast
