CH.ARLES E. SCHUMER 
NEW YORK 
tlnitcd ~tatcs ~cnatc 
The Honorable Thomas Wheeler 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 Twelfth Street, S.W. 
Washington DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
WASHINGTON, DC 20510 
September 26, 2016 
COMMITTEES: 
BANKIN G 
DEMOCRATI C POLICY & COMMUNICATIONS 
FINANCE 
JUDICIARY 
RULES 
Receivea o 1 
- <Y nsoected 
OCT 0 3 2D1 p, 
FCC M~il Roorn 
I understand that the Commission has been reviewing improvements to the Wireless Emergency Alerts _ 
(WEA) system (Proceeding 15-91). I am writing today to urge the Commission to consider changes 
that will modernize the existing system to better reflect the capacity of technology to respond to 
twenty-first century emergencies. 
As you may know, the New York City Department of Emergency Management (NYCEM) has been 
providing emergency public notifications since 2007. In the face of emerging threats, New York City 
remains on the cutting edge of using public information systems to advance its emergency services and 
capabilities in executing high-level safety decisions. In fact, they were the first local or state alerting 
authority in the country to issue a WEA message ordering the mandatory evacuation of coastal New 
York communities during Hurricane Sandy. Though this resource has provided great assistance in 
emergency and terror situations in New York and across the country, much work remains to be done in 
order to modernize the system and bring it into the twenty-first century. 
We saw this issue arise recently, when NYC issued a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) regarding 
Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect in the bombings that occurred in New York and New Jersey on 
September 17th and September 18th. The WEA alert sent by the New York City Police Department 
(NYPD) detailed information about the suspect, but lacked critical details, such as a photograph, that 
could help citizens identify him. Because of the WEA system's outdated infrastructure, the NYPD was 
limited to 90 characters and could not include identifying photos or videos, or links to more 
information. Due to the restrictions, cell phone users were forced to search the internet or news for an 
image of the suspect. 
It is clear the WEA system provides immeasurable support to emergency management and law 
enforcement agencies across the nation. That said, significant improvements must be made in order to 
allow agencies, such as the NYPD, to fully capitalize on the system. Accordingly, I applaud your 
efforts to improve the system and I ask you to expedite enhancements, such as extending the character 
limit to the maximum, allowing the use of multimedia images, and improving locational accuracy, so 
that citizens can be as informed as possible during times of risk. 
@ http://schumer.senate .gov 
806
I am pleased to provide these comments on the proposed rule and look forward to working with the 
Commission on initiatives that could strengthen this vital resource. Thank you and I look forward to 
hearing from you. 
Sincerely, 
~~ 
Charles E. Schumer