Local Governments: cities/counties and their departments of emergency management, fire, law enforcement and public works (many times in conjunction with offices of public information, local convention and visitors bureaus or chambers of commerce). Frequently the systems are used along with sirens to inform listeners of the nature of emergencies. See communities across America who operate Radio Stations. See also Case Studies.

Transportation Agencies: airports, highway departments, port authorities, ferry and train terminals.

Military: for visitor and emergency information.

Industry: in conjunction with a local governmental entity, industry can inform travelers, visitors and motorists of directions, hazards and travel advisories.

Points of Entry: US departments of immigration and naturalization, customs, border patrols, agriculture, state departments of tourism and law enforcement.

Colleges and Universities: for emergencies as well as visitor information.

Basic ALERT AM emergency advisory radio stations include the following (Technical specifications are linked at the bottom of this webpage.)

• Voice-prompter-style digital message player with up to 1,000 messages that may be arranged in 50 playlists (or message sequences) — 80 minutes of recording time is standard. ALERT AM can operate for days, even in the absence of AC power and telephone service.

• Live broadcasting (with local microphone, real time).

• External-control triggering via siren, pushbutton or other alarm.

• External Audio Interface for streaming ALERT AM audio to a website, or to override audio on a CATV Access Channel, or to produce program audio from Cable TV studio and override it during emergencies.

• Local and telephone control interfaces.

• Transmitter.

• Antenna and grounding system.

• Secure cabinets - dual-door, rack-style.

• NOAA "all-hazards" receiver (for weather and Emergency Alert System notifications), which allows NOAA warnings to broadcast to targeted counties automatically. Exclusive field-upgradeable receiver.

• Diagnostic metering and test equipment for system setup and maintenance.

• Mounts, connectors, cables, wiring, power supplies and lightning arrestors.

• Illustrated instruction manual.

• System engineering and planning.

• ISS technical support via telephone or email at no extra charge for the life of the product. 

• Lease-to-own financing options.

• Four-day, operational, rechargeable battery backup.

• Uninterruptible power supply (recommended for systems without four-day battery backup).

• Power loss notification module (instantaneous to 24 hours; automatically dials up to 4 telephone numbers including cell phones and pagers; has 5 programmable notification delay periods and internal battery backup).

• Outdoor cabinets for isolated antenna mounting style installations. These NEMA3R rack-mount, aluminum enclosures are designed for outdoor and industrial applications with door-activated lights, a fan and 3-point locking doors.

• Flashing ALERT Sign Systems — strategically located Flashing ALERT Signs tell motorists to tune to your station during emergencies.

• Vertical Profile Antenna Systems — when space is at a premium and secure, aesthetically pleasing antenna support is a priority, VP9000 is the solution.

• Workstation Audio Control — allows convenient screen-based, drag-and-drop control of broadcast messages from a single computer.

• Signalcast^IP Broadcast Management Software Package — for stand-alone or network-based operations, offers high quality recording, processing and editing; message scheduling; two-voice text-to-speech; message importing; drag-and-drop message playlist and flashing sign control; 10-user license.

• The phone-based audio control system that comes with every ALERT AM system can serve as a backup for the two above-mentioned computer-control options. This system, dubbed NX8R, has an option that allows continued broadcast updating even when cell/telephone systems go down. This 2-way redundant control option uses push-to-talk style transceivers (transceivers not included) and the same, familiar broadcasting protocols and voice prompts as with regular phones.

• GPS Frequency Stabilization — for multi-station setups if satellite stations are fewer than 15 miles apart. Prevents inter-station (heterodyne) interference.

Control broadcast recordings locally by landline phone or cell phone. The ALERT AM system transfers analog audio via telephone for digital storage and replay. Especially useful: the system has 80 of recording time and up to 50 customized playlists, i.e., broadcasts are easy to assemble for anticipated emergency scenarios. Broadcasts can be triggered by siren-system closures, toggle switches or other external sources. This allows the radio station to quickly switch from broadcasting general information to specific emergency information, when disaster strikes. Automatic NOAA alerts (EAS and weather) are integral; and an emergency message override feature allows operators to manually supersede recorded or automatic notifications to lock in critical, current recordings. Broadcasting "live" also is easy with the push of a button. See "SignalcastIP" and "Workstation Audio Control," bulleted in EQUIPMENT OPTIONS, above.)

ALERT AM's digital message player comes stocked with prerecorded emergency management messages prepared by our professional announcers to illustrate what's possible within the system. In addition, you may take advantage of recording services to create new messages, free for your first 30 days of operation.

Isolated Style: Put the entire radio station virtually anywhere. This style affords maximum flexibility of location and can be used with Vertical Profile Antennas.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants to government entities licenses for open frequencies (530 to 1700 kHz AM ) on a first-come-first-served basis and secondary to standard broadcast stations. Broadcast content must be noncommercial voice information relating to travel, services, weather, safety and points of interest. 

ISS can help you find an available frequency and apply for a FCC license. Just complete and return the downloadable License Questionnaire to get started. (See the ISS FCC Licensing Services webpage.)  Please note: You must have a FCC license in hand to operate. Your station must be on the air within 12 months of the license grant date, or this authorization will expire. ISS provides assistance with licensing and important FCC notifications at minimal cost.

Typically one ALERT AM setup costs $20-30K for a single station, including licensing, installation and ground freight in the contiguous United States. A lease-to-own option is available. At no charge, Bill Baker (616.772.2300, extension 102) will help you brainstorm ideas for your particular application and provide a formal quote. See our Funding Resources webpage for grant possibilities.

Links below offer alternative emergency advisory radio systems. Portable stations, for example, have equal capability as ALERT AM with a few extra options. Information Stations, commonly known as Travelers Information Stations (TIS), are 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. Download a complete ALERT AM overview with planning, pricing and specs immediately below.