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Gatlinburg
Fire Captain Joe Galentine recounts events the night of
November 28, 2016. |
Evacuation Stations
Now on the Air |
Gatlinburg and Sevier County
Soberly Assess Options after Wildfire Devastation |
GATLINBURG, TN: In
October, 2016, the city of Gatlinburg had no reason to
think that a ferocious fire storm planned to visit the
community around Thanksgiving. But it did. The popular
tourist destination found itself playing host to the
most unwelcome of guests as a “hurricane of
fire” approached its doorstep the evening of November
28th. |
“How do we advise
motorists while fire lines are moving, given the
uncertain state of cellular communications...?
In Santa Barbara County, we have found success
using this most old-school of technologies - AM
Radio.” |
Mike Williams
San Marcos Pass Fire Department, CA |
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As darkness fell,
safety officials began a hasty evacuation of 14,000
residents and visitors, but the inferno overwhelmed the
power grid, communications and 911 systems. Water pumps
burned. Fire hydrants ran dry. Gone in one evening were
entire neighborhoods and more than 2,500 buildings. Due
to a superhuman effort by local safety officials, loss
of life was limited to 14. |
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This is
what remained of a luxury chalet after the flames’ departure. |
This summer the
City and surrounding Sevier County upgraded its warning
systems to include 14 outdoor warning sirens and
3 synchronized
ALERT
AM Emergency Information Radio Stations that can be
used to guide citizens to recommended exit routes based
on future fires’ locations. Motorists will be able to
hear - on vehicle radios and in real time - advisories
issued by safety officials on the ground. The same
messages will appear in text form on computers and
portable devices. The programming is also being streamed
in real time for people who don’t have ready access to a
radio receiver or find themselves outside the coverage
area. |
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Information
Radio Antenna Installation at Chalet Village Clubhouse
near Gatlinburg |
According to Fire
Chief Miller, the event was the Nation’s most
devastating inland disaster in recent times. “These
technological upgrades will help us be better prepared
should it happen again.” With the climate warming more
each year, many believe that it could.
Other recent wildland fire events in which information radio services played lifesaving roles
include . . .
Idyllwild, CA – Cranston Fire, August
2018
“Our entire mountain was without power for several days,
which took down many local broadcasters who lacked
generators. Temperatures were 90 plus, the internet was
[often] not operational …nor were telephones fully
functional, “ reported Bill Tell and Roland Gaebert of
Idyllwild’s Mile High Amateur Radio Club. As the
Cranston fire raged, forcing evacuations, Idyllwild’s
Information station WNKI578 on AM1610 remained fully
operational.
See 2018
Idyllwild press release about the Cranston Fire.
Montecito, CA – Thomas Fire, December
2017
You will remember that Montecito was hard struck by
the largest wildfire in California’s history - the
Thomas Fire, which consumed 281,893 acres and, along
with the subsequent landslides, led to the largest loss
of life and property in the area since the Great Santa
Barbara earthquake of 1925. Recounts Jackie Jenkins,
communications coordinator for the District’s fire
department, “When all other critical infrastructure was
lost intermittently due to strong power surges, we were
able to rely on the AM Information Radio Station to keep
the community informed.”
See
"Disaster Strikes Twice; Montecito...pulls out all stops
to deliver critical info to evacuating residents by
radio internet stream technology," The Source,
Jan 2018.
In the words of Mike Williams of California’s San Marcos
Pass Volunteer Fire Department, “How do we advise
motorists while fire lines are moving, given the
uncertain state of cellular communications and the
underlying desire to avoid promoting distracted driving?
In Santa Barbara County, we have found success using
this most old-school of technologies - AM Radio.”
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"When it all goes
down, Information Radio stays up." |
Provider Announces
2018 IAEM Conference Theme |
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI:
Information Station Specialists will be exhibiting at
this year’s IAEM “EMEX” Emergency Management Conference,
which opens next Monday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The
company will be poised to discuss the utility of its
products during crises that sever power and
communications for extended periods.
Front and center is the firm’s “ALERT AM” Emergency
Advisory Radio Station, which has been a staple of
emergency managers for nearly 20 years. (See
a
state-by-state listing of stations.)
The system’s claim to fame is its ability to operate for
days on batteries with loss of grid power and its many
levels of operational redundancy.
Information Station Specialists will also be introducing
a new class of system for use by public safety agencies
that has county-sized
coverage potential for use during large
disasters. Though High Performance Emergency
Radio Systems (HiPER) are still in development, company
spokespersons will be on hand (Booth 727) to discuss and
consider integrating your ideas into the final product
design. |
IAEM Welcome! |
Information Station
Specialists to Exhibit at 66th Annual Conference:
"Expect the Unexpected" |
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI:
The International Association of Emergency Managers
brings
their annual conference to Grand Rapids, MI this
year, October 19th to the 24th. Information Station
Specialists’ president Bill Baker is taking the
opportunity to welcome attendees from around the globe
to the city – one of the most livable and “visitable”
destinations in the US.
“We’ve been blessed to be a stone’s throw from Grand
Rapids for the past 30 years and have seen its steady
growth to become one of the nation’s most interesting
new places to experience. We can’t wait to share our
fair city with emergency managers from around the
world,” says Baker. |
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On display in the
exhibit booth will be the
RadioSTAT Portable Advisory Radio Station and
Lightning LED Message
Sign.
“If you are attending, please come by so we can meet you
and give you a personal welcome,” offers Baker. “It’s
the perfect time to ask questions about the specialized
radio and signage solutions that can be so instrumental
in keeping the public informed before, during and after
a disaster. And we will have something special for
visitors who mention this article." Baker would not
divulge the nature of the surprise but assured The
Source "it's sweet."
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Information Radio Stations is a generic term
synonymous with Travelers Information Stations (TIS), Highway
Advisory Radio Stations (HAR) / Highway Information Systems &
Low Power Radio Stations (LPR). Operation of the stations is
governed by FCC Part 90.242 Rules. A FCC license is required.
Information Radio Stations may be fixed or portable.
Subcomponents may include transmitter, antenna and ground
system, digital voice player, wattmeter, cabinet with
conventional or Corbin locks, lightning arrestors for RF, power
and telephone lines, coaxial cable. Most stations employ black
maximized antennas to discourage ice accumulation and security
measures to prevent unauthorized program access. Options include
synchronization, battery backup, solar power, remote programming
by local, network or telco, multi-station audio distribution via
RF or LAN / WAN or wireless network. |