Emergency Alerts & the U.S. Congress: The Big Disconnect

Thank you to all regular readers. If we're not connected, be sure to follow to never miss any of the five articles about technical writing that I publish every week, Monday through Friday at 1:00 pm Eastern/10:00 am Pacific. I never miss an article drop—and neither should you!

?? Listen to the sibling podcast where hosts Daphne and Fred provide insightful analysis and additional details on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Spotify.

Recently, popular New York-based media outlet The Verge published an article entitled "House Committee Approves Bill Requiring New Cars to Have AM Radio."

Um, what?

This particularly resonated because of a coincidental conversation with a friend this week about car tech. During the talk, we happened to mention AM radio (which stands for "amplitude modulation"). My buddy, who listens to a music-focused FM radio station when driving, queried, "Who even listens to AM radio today?" He was clearly shocked by the mere fact that AM still exists.

I explained that AM is mostly talk radio and sports and that I thought it was neat that this tech, more than 100 years old, is still around. Filled with static and definitely not high fidelity, AM radio simply refuses to die. It harkens back to the pre-podcast analog lifestyle of our grandparents and great-grandparents when it served as a miraculous connection to the outside world that delivered breaking news and entertainment.

Dinosaurs Gonna Be Dinosaurs

While not law and passed only by a House committee, the mere fact that some dinosaurs in the U.S. Congress think requiring automakers to include AM is a good solution to maintaining sufficient emergency alerts in this country, in 2024 and beyond, is telling.

I'm a proud American. I love this country. But I don't think dinosaur thinking is going to help this great nation maintain its leadership position in technology and commerce and best protect its citizens during emergency scenarios.

And if we're going to consider AM radio for emergency alerts, CB radio should also rank as a contender. "Breaker breaker, this is the Rubber Duck. The aliens have landed and your ass is grass. Over."

Ubiquity Matters

A few years ago, something interesting happened in America. Seemingly overnight, everyone was sporting a big and always-connected smartphone. Even poor people. Even ex-cons. Even technophobes. Heck, even 10-year-olds. Tens of millions more spent some of their hard earned on smart watches like the ubiquitous Apple Watch or Google Pixel Watch.

Literally everyone has a thin computer in their pocket and perhaps also on their wrist that is continually pinging them with notifications.

Today, literally everyone has a thin computer in their pocket and perhaps also on their wrist that is continually pinging them with notifications about the latest casserole recipe on Facebook or a comment thread about a sleepy cat on X.

I joke. But seriously, modern Americans have adeptly conquered the hills of online communication fluidity. We—with the help of tech giants like Apple and Google and Meta and Microsoft—have this messaging and notification thing down to a science.

What is Most Used?

I'm not an emergency services expert. However, one thing I would like to communicate to the dinosaurs in Washington, D.C.: Leverage the most popular communications channels as a first line for emergency alerts. Social media, SMS text, YouTube...whatever.

If a government agency at either the state or federal level was trying to alert me to a tornado or impending meteor and used only AM radio, I and all of my tech nerd peers would never get it. Perhaps maybe if we received a text on our smartphone saying "turn on the AM radio in your car for important news or you will die."

But probably not.

Possible Value If Cell Towers Die

In the end, I suppose what really matters is that emergency alerts are in place, not their underlying tech. I want to stress that I have nothing against AM radio. In fact, as a former journalism student, I wax happy and nostalgic when thinking about how this aged tech, married to the vacuum tube, ushered in what is today regarded as the Golden Age of Radio (the period from the 1920s to the 1950s).

I would advocate for a new technology-based solution rather than the embrace of the old stuff. Satellites come to mind.

And I do want to recognize those who say that AM radio could play a pivotal role in our response to a major emergency that is so severe that it disables cell towers and internet services. Yes, if those channels are eliminated, we do need a backup. But I would advocate for a new technology-based solution rather than the adoption of the old stuff. Satellites come to mind (leading edge smartphones already support limited satellite communications).

And another thing: Those who think that requiring AM radios in cars is a quick and effective fix to the issue need to realize that the bad guys (aliens, domestic terrorists, foreign adversaries, etc.) might employ electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). For those who don't watch enough sci fi movies, an EMP will take out our cars and mostly everything else that is powered by or involves electricity.

Wanna do something good with your influence and resources, Congress? Invest in development of a communications tech that is impervious to EMPs. Now that would get my attention and definitely push the ball forward (hopefully DARPA already has this).

Good Luck

If the proverbial poop hits the fan, hundreds of millions of Americans will struggle to stay informed and communicate with each other. But is more government regulation and reliance on a 110-year-old technology really the most intelligent approach?

Perhaps. There are no easy answers.

But that's just my opinion. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

— Curt Robbins, Senior Technical Writer

P.S.: I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround.