System to provide warnings for all types of pending disasters
LAFAYETTE – A Lafayette-based company’s radio broadcast technology has earned a U.S. Geological Survey license for earthquake alerts delivered within 5 seconds.
The ALERT FM system uses FM radio technology to send emergency alerts for pending disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and fires.
The system developed by Global Security Systems LLC, of Lafayette, was born out the 911 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, which crippled other communications.
The alerts are obtained by users on ALERT FM’s two battery-operated devices. One is a portable device and the other is wall-mounted and offers strobe/siren notification of an alert. The portable device, with a four-year battery life, includes audio, text and Bluetooth connectivity. The wall-mounted device is suitable for schools and hospitals.
Robert “Bobby” Adams, president and CEO, said, “What typically happens in any kind of scenario like an earthquake or a bad hurricane is people will generally be watching TV. They’ll get information from that and they’ll use their cell phone. But then what happens?
“Basically, there is a cascading effect of destruction. That cell network gets knocked out. The power goes out. So, you are really left with radio at that point.”
Adams started his communication career developing pager systems around existing radio towers.
“We are able to continue to provide alerts throughout a disaster. We’re the ones that survive all of these different scenarios — the doomsday scenarios as we call them,” Adams said.
Adams described ALERT FM as offering a robust redundancy. There about 14,000 radio station towers in the United States and ALERT FM’s messages are also sent by satellite to be broadcast from the radio towers.
In April, ALERT FM announced the Geological Survey authorized it to carry ShakeAlert messages in California, Oregon and Washington.
The earthquake system provides warnings about non-damaging and damaging waves.
Matthew Straeb, executive vice president and chief technology officer, said, “That can give you 20 to 25 seconds upfront to take cover or leave a building.”
He added, “We are the first radio broadcast platform to be ShakeAlert licensed to operate. We’ve been able to demonstrate we can deliver the message in less than 5 seconds.”
In the coming months, ALERT FM will integrate automated actions to accompany earthquake early warnings for sirens, accessible devices such as bed-shakers and other consumer electronic devices.
“We will be seeking partners to integrate our low-cost FM technology to control emergency generators, door openers, production machinery, and other sensitive equipment in concert with alert messages. The benefits are nearly endless in earthquake and other alert situations,” Straeb said
A key feature of the devices is they process targeted warnings called polygon alerts, Straeb said. That means instead of the cone alerts that cover wide areas, the ALERT FM’s capability pinpoints an area facing a potential earthquake disaster.
The portable devices can function nationwide in delivering alerts where the ALERT FM coverage is deployed.
The FM platform is our key, it works when internet, cell and power are out ” he added.