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Mayfield and Norcross Introduce America’s Emergency Network, the Nation’s First Comprehensive Emergency Communication System.Published May 15, 2007 Former National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield and CBS News and WFOR-TV, Miami Hurricane Analyst Bryan Norcross have teamed up with Global Security Systems of Jackson, Mississippi to create the nation’s first comprehensive emergency alerting and communications system. The components of the system are: AEN on the Internet – a website available free to the public containing video feeds and bulletins issued by emergency management offices and other government agencies. AEN-TV – a TV channel carrying the most important news conferences and other feeds from emergency management offices and government agencies. Some feeds will be carried live, while others will be prioritized and run on a schedule posted on the channel. AlertFM (powered by GSSNet)– a comprehensive alerting system using part of local FM stations’ signals (subcarriers) that can send messages instantly to an entire community or to specific neighborhoods or individuals using proprietary technology. In addition, the alerts can be sent to specific mobile phones as text or voice messages and by email. The fully-deployed AEN/AlertFM system will be a public/private partnership between local, state, and national emergency agencies and America’s Emergency Network. Any government agency with emergency-management responsibilities for a community, regardless of size, will have access to the secure AEN system to distribute their information. After a regional disaster like Hurricane Katrina, many of the smaller cities, counties, and parishes could not get their critical messages out to their residents because the media was concentrating on the tragedy in the more populated areas. By joining AEN, local governments will be able to “push” their information to the worldwide media instead of having to wait for reporters to come to them. Media outlets will have full and free access to information from governments of all sizes to feed to reporters on the scene increasing the accuracy of emergency information being broadcast. AEN’s satellite backbone will assure that the system will function even when the terrestrial phone lines, cable, and mobile service is knocked out. In addition, residents that have evacuated to distant locales will have direct access to critical information from officials back home. America’s Emergency Network was conceived by Bryan Norcross based on nearly 40 years experience in radio and television. “There is nothing more frustrating than being in a functioning TV or radio station after a hurricane (or other disaster) not knowing what’s going on because you can’t communicate with the outside world”, says Norcross. He adds, “Government cannot even begin to deal with a natural or man-made disaster if emergency managers can’t communicate with the public. This is a problem that had to be solved”. America’s Emergency Network and AlertFM is that comprehensive solution. Max Mayfield will work with emergency management agencies to help them use the system to their and the public’s benefit. “This may be the most important thing I’ve ever done”, says Mayfield. “No newspaper or TV station can possibly send reporters to cover all the emergency operation centers”. AEN will fill the gaps in the nation’s emergency communications system caused by this reality. Robert L. Adams, President of Global Security Systems added “ The combination of a credible emergency content provider with the GSS technology platforms to disseminate the data across multiple devices is powerful” Norcross says he plans to have AEN operational on the internet later this year, with AEN-TV on the air in early 2008. “There is a lot of work to do, but with the interest we’ve seen from emergency managers so far, and the support of our technology partners at Global Security Systems, I think it’s a reasonable goal.” About Global Security Systems, LLC About ALERT FM
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