CNN and NAWAS

Tue Sep 18 00:11:06 UTC 2001

At 3:56 PM -0700 17/09/2001, Sean Donelan wrote:
>Sorry to do this, but I read this CNN news story and
>I'd like to point out the technology existed.  The procedures
>and policies may have been lacking.
>
>http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/inv.hijack.warning/
>   Military officials at NORAD ordered fighter jets from
>   Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to intercept the
>   flight, but neither the FAA, NORAD, nor any other
>   federal government organization made any effort to
>   evacuate the buildings in Washington.
>
>   Officials at the Pentagon said that no mechanism existed
>   within the U.S. government to notify various departments
>   and agencies under such circumstances.
>
>Actually, there has been a mechanism to alert almost every
>public safety point in the nation for many years.
>
>Quoting from the NAWAS manual:
>
>>  The National Warning System (NAWAS) is a 24-hour continuous
>>  private line telephone system used to convey warnings to
>>  Federal, State and local governments, as well as the military
>>  and civilian population. Originally, the primary mission of
>>  the NAWAS was to warn of an imminent enemy attack or an actual
>>  accidental missile launch upon the United States. NAWAS still
>>  supports this mission but the emphasis is on natural and
>>  technological disasters.
>>
>>  In today’s post-Cold War environment, the threats imposed by
>>  disasters make it imperative for all government officials to
>>  have access to an effective and reliable means of warning the
>>  public of impending emergencies so that they may take protective
>>  actions. Title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
>>  and Emergency Assistance Act authorizes the use of the NAWAS
>>  to support the All-Hazards emergency response mission of the
>>  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). NAWAS is used to
>>  disseminate warning information concerning natural and
>>  technological disasters to various warning points throughout
>>  the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and the Virgin
>>  Islands. This information includes but is not limited to acts
>>  of terrorism including Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) after
>>  aircraft incidents/accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes,
>>  nuclear incidents/accidents, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes,
>>  tsunamis and winter storms/blizzards. NAWAS allows issuance of
>>  warnings to all stations nationwide or to selected stations as
>>  dictated by the situation.
>
>
>The rumor is it takes NORAD less than 3 minutes to issue an alert.
>The government had the means to issue a warning.

Sean,

Does this mean it takes 3 minutes to decide to issue a warning or 
that it takes 3 minutes to distribute the warning once the decision 
to issue has been made?

-craig