Media Contact 866-920-MEMA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 22, 2010

STATE-WIDE ALERT FM IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETE

PEARL, MS – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack announced today that MEMA has completed the expansion of their state-wide ALERT FM implementation. ALERT FM is an FM radio- based emergency notification system which allows MEMA to send targeted information to county emergency managers, disabled persons, schools, businesses, and citizens. A grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was used to fund this project.

This system delivers geo-targeted digital information via the Radio Broadcast Data System -data subcarrier- of FM radio stations, so thousands of recipients can receive emergency information from MEMA in mere seconds. This information can be received on either fixed or mobile ALERT FM receivers today, or on other consumer devices such PDAs, cell phones and other specialized receivers in the future. Types of notifications might include severe weather warnings, homeland security notices, and hurricane evacuation notices and instructions.

“The system provides targeted notification capabilities beyond our existing alert and warning systems, and it is implemented in neighboring states in the event of a mass evacuation, said Womack. “Mississippi is committed to protecting our citizens against hazardous situations, and ALERT FM will be a key tool in our preparedness tool box.”

Following a successful 2005 pilot project MEMA was able to secure a $1 million Hazard Mitigation Grant to expand the ALERT FM system to include additional radio stations for full coverage statewide. Today over 80 FM radio stations around Mississippi are a part of “GSSNet” for state-wide emergency notification with the capability of reaching the state’s approximate 3 million residents.

Mississippi’s state wide system is fully compatible with ALERT FM systems implemented in counties around Mississippi, contiguous states, and across the United States. Any ALERT FM receiver is fully functional in these areas provided it is programmed for that area.

“ALERT FM provides valuable information to citizens and businesses across the State of Mississippi no matter if they are at home or work or traveling throughout the state,” Robert L Adams, CEO of Global Security Systems, LLC.

For more information visit www.msema.org or www.alertfm.com. ###

http://www.msema.org/documents/AlertFM4.22.10.pdf