By Daniel L. Bamberg
Bibb County will soon join in on a radio alert system covering all of southwest Alabama during emergencies, state and county officials said Friday.
The ALERT FM emergency notification system will soon include Baldwin, Bibb, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe and Washington counties.
This effort utilizes special FM radios to deliver notifications to residents and agencies regarding severe weather warning, school closings, Amber alerts, or any potential public safety advisory.
This system, which is being used in other portions of the state, is operated by agencies such as law enforcement, 911 and other emergency personnel. Schools and the local weather services also use it.
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency is setting up the state program with money from a Remote Community Alert Systems Program grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service, according to Ashton.
Alabama EMA Director Art Faulkner said the additional eight counties will have the system in place throughout the southwest area of the state.
The radios can be programmed for different regions of the state, so that a person in another part of Alabama can be warned if an emergency is taking place in their home while they are away.
"ALERT FM will help more residents stay informed during natural or manmade disasters. We are pleased eight other counties will benefit," explained Faulkner.
ALERT FM began in 2010 for the counties of Mobile, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Wilcox.
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