Senate Resolution 223 Printer's Number 1563

PENNSYLVANIA, April 30 - Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Pennsylvania Emergency

Management Agency (PEMA) and the National Weather Service; and

WHEREAS, FEMA relies on AM radio stations to ensure that the

President can communicate to Americans when major public safety

or national security events occur and has invested tens of

millions of dollars to "harden" these radio stations to

withstand "All Hazards," including chemical, biological,

radiological, high-altitude electro-magnetic pulse and nuclear

attacks; and

WHEREAS, According to FEMA, these hardened stations provide

the nation's "last resort mass communications capabilities under

all conditions"; and

WHEREAS, FEMA further states, "In the aftermath of a

national, catastrophic event ... broadcast radio may be the most

effective method [of transmitting crucial information to the

public] since it is possible that terrestrial Internet Protocol

networks and other pathways could be inoperable, especially at

'last mile' delivery to the public"; and

WHEREAS, When power goes out and the Internet goes down,

radio remains the most resilient form of communication,

especially in vehicles during power outages; and

WHEREAS, AM radio uniquely can reach listeners in a wide

geographic area and is available in urban and rural areas,

regardless of Internet access and without paid subscriptions;

and

WHEREAS, AM radio plays a vital role in serving minority,

non-English-speaking and other underrepresented communities with

free, in-language and religious programming; and

WHEREAS, AM radio is highly important to rural and farming

communities, providing weather updates, crop reports and other

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