ALERT AM Emergency Advisory Radio System

ALERT AM
Emergency Advisory Radio System

FCC-Licensed Travelers' Information Station / Highway Advisory Radio
AEL/SEL Category 04AP-09-ALRT

Customer Reviews

September 18, 2019

“Thank you for making this a very smooth experience. You guys are top notch!"

Rob Balbuena
IT Department
City of Saratoga, CALA

January 22, 2018

“St. Charles Parish has had no issues with the AM Radio station your company installed. We've been at it for 8 years and the system never really had any complications. For that, we thank you!...We appreciate everything you guys have done for us."

Steve Sirmon
EM Coordinator
St. Charles Parish, LA

Print an ALERT AM brochure.

Compare ALERT AM features with our other licensed radio systems.

See features exclusive to ALERT AM compared to competitors' systems.

Plan your ALERT AM System.

See technical specifications.

See our other emergency advisory products

When it all goes down, ALERT AM stays up.

Hundreds of communities across America operate ALERT AM Emergency Advisory Radio Stations to tell citizens what to do during incidents that threaten life and property.

No power? No internet? No problem. With the ALERT AM system, listeners receive up-to-the-minute reports and instructions across a 3-5 mile radius (25-75 square-mile area) with a level of detail that makes the broadcasts invaluable.

During non-emergency times, officials use the stations to inform motorists of street repairs, traffic constraints, travel advisories, city history and visitor information.

Information Station Specialists is the sole provider of ALERT AM in the United States and offers 24 / 7 remote technical support for the life of the product. State and local governmental entities may purchase our products without going to bid, if they join the HGACBuy purchasing cooperative as end users. Membership is free. Here's how easy it is to join.

The below capabilities establish the ALERT AM system as a unique communication tool that produces effective public response and appreciation, 24 / 7.

Standard Package	Options to Add at Any Time
Local, phone, IP and USB control interfaces. Broadcast quality audio processor to increase audio quality. Voice-prompter-style digital recorder with 3 hours of recording time, hundreds of playlists and 1,000-message capability. Redundancy. Two-way radio control. Redundancy. Live broadcasting locally or remote. External control triggering via siren, pushbutton or other alarm. Transmitter type accepted with 15-year proven track record, synthesized frequency design for agile operation with full 5000 Hz bandwidth audio. Antenna / groundplane system. Secure indoor cabinets, dual-door rack style. National Weather Service 'all hazard' encoding to automatically broadcast Emergency Alert System messages targeted to specific counties. Uninterruptible power supply. Diagnostic metering and test equipment. Hardware, cables, power supplies and illustrated manuals. System engineering and planning. Remote tech support for the life of the product. Potential interference notification services for the life of the product.	StreamCASTs that broadcast messages to smartphones, tablets and laptops to boost indoor and out-of-area listening. ENcasts to automatically interrupt broadcasts to air text-based emergency messages from compliant mass-notification systems. Four-day operational battery backup to keep the system on the air during power outages. Vertical Profile Antenna Support and Grounding System, an efficient hurricane-rated, ANSI / TIA-compliant antenna solution that saves space and installation time. GPS frequency stabilization that allows synch of multiple stations to effectively enlarge coverage. Flashing ALERT Signs to encourage motorists to tune to emergency stations when beacons flash. Outdoor weatherproof cabinets for isolated locations without host buildings. Signal Measurement Radio Receiver to verify FCC compliance.
	See the Technical Specifications webpage for details. See a webpage listing features only ALERT AM has in the marketplace.

Plan Your System / Request a Quote

Contact Bill Baker to help plan the best configuration for your setting and to get a quote. See Typical Planning Steps for planning an ALERT AM Emergency Advisory Radio System.

Who operates ALERT AM systems?

(Radio stations for use by government agencies and emergency medical providers.)

Municipalities (cities, counties, townships, boroughs, towns and villages): e.g., departments of public safety, emergency management, public health and public information (PIO).

Points of entry: e.g., airports, border protection, port authorities).

Universities and colleges.

Government agencies (federal and state): e.g., departments of transportation (DOTs), bridge authorities, emergency management and public health departments.

Click the map below to see alert stations across America - state by state.

Office of Emergency Management
Chesterfield, VA

Message Control

The ALERT AM broadcast program can be controlled over a network, USB, landline/cellphone or via a two-way transceiver provided by the operator. Two redundant voice systems, both operable locally or remotely, provide full audio system control which continues to function should telco, network or building access would be lost.*

The ALERT AM system allows the operator to pre-record messages for quick broadcast as anticipated emergency scenarios present themselves.

Broadcasts may also be triggered by ancillary devices, i.e., siren-system closures, switches or other external sources. This allows ALERT AM to quickly switch from broadcasting general information to specific emergency information if disaster strikes. When the National Weather Service issues all-hazard Emergency Alert System alerts for designated counties, they are broadcast automatically, interrupting standard programming. ALERT AM also allows the operator to lock out NOAA alerts if desired. Broadcasting live is easy with the push of a button and can be effected at the radio station itself or remotely from any telephone. An audio processor is onboard to boost ALERT AM’s audio quality and receivable range.

ALERT AM’s digital message players can be stocked with pre-recorded emergency management messages prepared by our professional announcers. to illustrate what’s possible within the system. See free or commissioned recording services.

(*) Compare the capabilities of ALERT AM's NX8R and TMS020 voice systems here.

Antenna Styles

The two most common formats:

Yard Style: ALERT AM may be installed at a building with the electronics securely indoors and the antenna pole mounted in the adjacent yard connected by an underground cable. This style is recommended because it is most economical and affords the greatest security for equipment. A 50’ separation from buildings is recommended.
Isolated Style: At remote locations where there is no building, a weatherproof cabinet containing the electronics is attached to the antenna support pole. The location must have electrical power and, if equipment is to be remotely controlled, telephone, two-way or network service.

If a yard- or isolated-style installation is not possible, custom installation on a building roof is possible in some instances. Lateral separation of the antenna from large, nearby objects by at least the height of the object is suggested to prevent signal degradation.

We can provide documentation that radio frequency exposure from the ALERT AM antenna does not exceed FCC limits for safe operation.

Planning & Pricing

As you would expect, Information Station Specialists provides a full menu of technical services to help you put and keep ALERT AM on the air. We will help plan and implement your station, including frequency and site selection, FCC licensing, installation, staff training and the FCC-required field survey and documentation. Even professionally recorded audio messages are available, so your broadcast is ready to put on the air as soon as the station is turned on. Best of all, each system comes with Remote Technical Support and Potential Interference Notification Services (PINS) for the life of the station.

Sole Source. We frequently are the only source for the products and services we offer and can send you support letters to affirm that for your purchasing documentation.

HGACBuy. If you are a state or local government agency anywhere in the US and you are a HGACBuy cooperative member - or want to join as an end user - you can purchase our products without the necessity of going out to bid. Membership is free to villages, towns, cities, townships, counties, state agencies, departments, authorities, districts, councils or nonprofits doing work for such entities. Here's how to join.

Competitive Process. If you must seek competitive bids or quotes, we can supply specifications (in text form) so you can easily integrate them into bid documents.

Purchases by governmental entities can be made by purchase order, agency order on letterhead, VISA / MC (up to $3,500) or simply by signing and returning our quote sheets. Standard terms are Net 30 days.

For extended range emergency advisory broadcasts, see our RadioSAFE Wide Area Emergency Broadcast Radio Systems, which offers coverage areas of 5 to 20+ miles radius.

The Information Station is a lower cost alternative with many of the same messaging capabilities as ALERT AM but without the specialized 'all hazard' broadcast capability, four-day operational battery backup and GPS frequency stabilization options described above under.