Global Security Systems said Lauderdale County is one of the first counties in Mississippi to install an Alert FM portal.
The portal is the gateway of communication for the company’s FM-based digital alert and messaging system. It allows emergency management officials to create and send notifications to a specific group of first responders and others. Targeted alerts and messages are delivered by satellite to FM transmission facilities and can be received on Alert FM receivers and other mobile devices including PDAs, cell phones and other specialized receivers equipped with FM chips. A secure home page of the local portal allows an user to manage the content. The portal is also a Web site that contains default services, including Weather.com, NOAA weather alerts and community public announcements.
Fifty stations in Mississippi are part of the network. Lauderdale County, with about 77,500 residents, is served by FM stations including WMAW, WOKK, WJXM, WMLV, WKZB and WUCL.
The county also has purchased 10 Alert FM responders for use in county schools. Other users in the state include the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
