In this letter to the editor, the author comments on Radio World’s Aug. 7 story “FCC Approves ‘Missing and Endangered’ Alert Code.” Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.
Paul,
The origins of MEP can be traced back to a Native Public Media Summit held in Phoenix in May 2023, a little over a year ago.
When I was discussing the rising missing person crisis that disproportionately affects people in Indian country, we formulated a proposal to make alerting in these situations easier to understand, and a clearer option for authorities.
Loris Taylor, NPM president/CEO, fully embraced the concept and did all the heavy lifting. She is responsible for the National Council of American Indians resolution, which was delivered to the FCC and FEMA.
That resolution rapidly wound up on the FCC chair’s desk. From that point on, MEP was unstoppable. The FCC public vote was held just 15 months after that NPM Summit!
The credit goes to Loris Taylor and Native Public Media, a small organization that moved the FCC forward. They were looking out for not only their people, but every missing and endangered person across the nation.
— Al Kenyon, customer support branch chief | IPAWS | NCP, FEMA
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