FM-Based Digital Alerting Available for Universities

o better provide advance warning to protect national universitiesduring emergencies, Global Security Systems (GSS) of Jackson,Mississippi is now able to deliver the ALERT FM system to universities,colleges and other institutes of higher education. GSS is showcasingALERT FM at the National Association of Broadcasters 2007 Show, at theLas Vegas Convention Center thru April 19 at Booth N6734.

ALERTFM is a personal alert messaging system that enables campusadministrators, emergency management personnel or police to create andsend notifications to students, staff, first responders or citizens.The FM signal offers a unique advantage in that it has coverage forareas where cell signals may not operate, also in the case of a wideremergency a carrier signal can become overloaded and delayed or ceaseto operate. Additionally, there are no costs associated with messagedelivery.

Students and staff can receive alerts via ALERT FMreceivers or USB sticks, as well as mobile devices equipped with astandard FM chip. By utilizing ALERT FM, campus security would have theability to distribute real-time notifications for emergency situations,weather warnings, homeland security notices and evacuation instructions.Manyuniversities have a licensed FM station on campus or a commercialstation serving the area.

The alert messaging is delivered via asecure, private digital network, which utilizes existing FM standardsand transmitters. This end-to-end solution uses a standard FMcommercial receiver chip inserted into an ALERT FM receiver or anymobile communication device. It provides mass distribution of emergencyalert messages via a local radio station's FM infrastructure.Followinga presidential directive to improve the nation's emergency alertcapability, broadcasters in Mississippi join emergency managementofficials as the first state to use ALERT FM for instantaneous alertand messaging.