In this letter to the editor, the author responds to Paul McLane’s post, “Lunch with a Bit of PEP.” Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.
Greetings,
I was just reading your article on the Michigan folks with multiple transmitters and a backup, etc. You asked for ideas and what folks are doing to assist their local authorities.
Now, we don’t have the money for multiple transmitters and such (though we’d love it), but we did just build a specialized system utilizing a phone line that will pick up, accept a PIN code to identify the agency and the caller can leave an emergency message.
The automation system then takes the message and inserts it into the playlist at the next available spot (after the song finishes) and plays it regardless of whether anyone is manning the station or not. That way, an emergency message can always be sent — and since this system is located at the transmitter site, it will even work if the studio is offline or the data connection to it is down.
I don’t know if that’s been done before, but I think it is nice to have in an emergency that happens “off-hours” and as such, putting the ability to make immediate announcements in the hands of local emergency management directly.
We’re just finishing up the testing and once that is done, we’re going to meet with all area emergency management to give them their code-cards (printed plastic cards with instructions and their unique codes).
Our only weakness is that we have not been able to afford a site generator yet.
Would you by chance know if there are any FEMA grants or low-interest loans for stations to purchase emergency-related equipment like a generator? We are the biggest signal in the area and cover it very well.
It would be great for the rural community where we are for us to be the de-facto standard place to get emergency information in the case of complete grid failure. No other station in the area has a generator either.
Any insight would be greatly helpful!
— Thane Conriocht, general manager, Running Wolf Radio, Edmond, Okla.
[Check Out More Letters at Radio World’s Reader’s Forum Section]
