Frequently Asked Questions
In order to address some of the anticipated questions regarding the EAS-CAP Industry Group, we offer the following FAQ:
Q1) Why is developing an EAS-CAP Implementation Guide important?
A) Prior to the formation of the EAS-CAP Industry Group, numerous progressive companies were already involved in CAP messaging for EAS. However, each vendor used its own method for transporting the EAS parameters within a CAP message, raising the potential challenge of various EAS equipment and systems not being able to communicate with each other. The advent of this EAS-CAP Implementation Guide will provide the basis for interoperability both among next generation EAS equipment and services, as well as between the EAS community and other communications channels.
Q2) I notice that your website says your Group has “released a draft Implementation Guide”. Does this mean you are still working on the final Implementation Guide?
A) Yes, that is correct. The draft Implementation we initially released is our starting point, but we believe we can improve on the document with input from the EAS/CAP community at large. We very much welcome and encourage comments from all interested parties. Please send us your comments using our Public Discussion List. We will eventually adopt a finalized version of the profile, but we do not have a timeline for that step at this point.
Q3) Is your Implementation Guide different from the one FEMA will eventually adopt for use nationwide for EAS?
A) We are offering our Implementation Guide to FEMA for consideration as a starting point for the FEMA CAP profile they will eventually adopt. There may be some differences in the FEMA CAP Profile, as a result of that agency’s unique organizational mission for EAS. However, we are optimistic that a Profile adopted by FEMA based on CAP 1.2 would be accommodated by users of the EAS-CAP Implementation Guide, with some modifications. We would expect to update the EAS-CAP Implementation Guide in light of future decisions by FEMA for their national CAP profile.
There are a growing number of CAP-based EAS systems in the field today, and integration of this EAS-CAP profile into existing and planned systems will lay a foundation for migration to an upcoming FEMA CAP profile.
Q4) Will you do actual device-to-device compatibility testing?
A) The Industry Group is currently developing Test Vectors for all vendors to use in testing their devices on an individual basis, but no live device-to-device testing is planned at this time. We feel that each vendor using the individual tests within the Test Vector suite to be certain that their device reacts properly to each test will result in adequate compatibility testing.
Q5) What do you as a Group want to happen next?
A) We hope that FEMA accepts our Implementation Guide as its starting point, and will use it as the basis for a mandated Profile based on CAP 1.2 that is substantially similar to the one we developed.
Q6) What will the cost of EAS-CAP Decoders be, and can the member vendors in your Group supply the nation with EAS-CAP Decoders in 180 days?
A) The purpose of this group is solely to develop technical standards to promote interoperability among EAS vendors in the context of the CAP 1.1 Standard. Issues of price, availability, and other marketing and sales questions are beyond the scope of this group. The EAS-CAP Industry Group does not in any way inform or participate in the business or competitive decisions of participating members. In fact, industry group members do not – and are not permitted to – engage in any discussion whatsoever relating to product/service pricing, methods or channels of product distribution, any division of markets, or allocation of customers or any other topic that should not be discussed among competitors.
Q7) Do you have a spokesperson to answer media questions?
A) No, we do not. The EAS-CAP Industry Group has operated as a collaborative effort throughout the challenging task of developing the profile, and that model has served us well to this point. We feel that the unique cooperative yet competitive nature of our Group members is best served in our continued collaboration on all aspects of our Group’s activities, including addressing questions from the media. We ask that the media submit any questions not answered in this FAQ to our Contact Us web page, and we will make every effort to answer questions in a timely manner.
Q8) I notice that your document says “© 2010 EAS-CAP Industry Group”. Does this mean I can not make photocopies of your profile document?
A) Our aim in copyrighting our document is first and foremost for this to remain a free and open protocol. Copyrighting is intended to prevent inappropriate use by any individual, company, or organization. The EAS-CAP Industry Group invites implementation and use of, and reference to, its recommendations and work product. We merely ask users to include an appropriate and clear citation and/or acknowledgement notice of the use of the source material. Anyone is free to photocopy our document or to use portions of it in a news story, but the rights to the ownership of the actual content of the document are retained by the EAS-CAP Industry Group.