Sen. Pierce introduces bill to support and localize emergency broadcasting services across Maine
AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Senate Majority Leader Teresa S. Pierce, D-Falmouth, introduced a bill to localize and strengthen emergency broadcasting, which will deliver timely, geo-specific news alerts for public safety and weather-related events. LD 2003 was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.
“Our rural state relies on timely and accurate emergency broadcasting services when serious weather or other public safety events are taking place, in order to keep us safe and healthy,” said Sen. Pierce. “The ability to localize an emergency message to the area of the state where the emergency response is needed — which prevents confusion or other problems — is essential and the primary goal of this bill. Maine Public continues to deliver these broadcasting services and this bill will improve their efforts to save lives and protect property.”
LD 2003 would provide one-time funds to acquire broadcast infrastructure equipment to enable the localization of public safety information and emergency alert messaging on the statewide radio network operated by the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation, in partnership with the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
“The main reason to do this is public safety,” said Rick Schneider, President & CEO Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation, in testimony on LD 2003. “If you hear an emergency alert that doesn’t apply to you, you tend to disregard it, and if it happens too often, the system loses credibility.”
In the First Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature, Sen. Pierce championed passage of LD 692 with unanimous support in both chambers, strengthening the Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation’s ability to provide emergency broadcasting messaging. LD 2003 builds on this progress by allowing for localized emergency broadcasting services.
In the coming weeks, the Committee will schedule a work session for the bill. You can follow the progress of the bill by clicking here.
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