When people in Hawaii were falsely alerted of a Ballistic Missile threat, the first thing they heard was the sound of an emergency alert. For decades, this tone has alerted us to local weather emergencies and other important events, but it has never been used for its original purpose. In this episode, we explore the history of the Emergency Alert System and its predecessors. Featuring Kelly Williams, from the National Association of Broadcasters, Frank Lucia former EAS advisor for the FCC, and Wade Witmer from FEMA.  Check out Defacto Sound, the studios that produced Twenty Thousand Hertz, hosted by Dallas Taylor.  Consider supporting the show at donate.20k.org  Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/emergencyalert Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices