 |
'First Alert System Text' Retains TransMedia to Publicize How 'FAST' Government Can Use Its SMS-based Service to Alert Public of Impending Disasters
National Service Enables Emergency Message Delivery to Any Cell Phone
12/10/2007
The First Alert System Text
Corp. (http://www.FirstAlertText.com) known by its apt acronym "FAST" has
retained TransMedia Group to publicize its National Emergency Alert and
Information Notification Service, built on mobile messaging technology
powered by VeriSign.
"Whenever disaster strikes, regional voice and email networks can be
quickly overwhelmed with traffic, often making wireless messaging the most
effective communication channel between state, county and city emergency
departments and anxious citizens," said TransMedia Group's Chairman Thomas
Madden.
"Our job will be to get more State, County and City Emergency
Operations Departments and Agencies to adopt this potentially life-saving
new service that will enable instantaneous delivery emergency messages," he
said. School districts, college campuses, power companies and businesses
also can be licensed to use this service.
During emergencies, overwhelmed voice and email networks often prevent
prompt delivery of text messages sent by SMTP (Short Message Transfer
Protocol). FAST sidesteps those bottlenecks by using SMPP (Short Message
Peer-to-Peer) Protocol to provide rapid and assured delivery of text
messages.
Hardee County in central Florida was among the first to adopt the FAST
notification system. "FAST is the most efficient and assured method of
sending text messages both to emergency personnel and the general public,"
said Richard Shepard, Emergency Management director for Hardee County in
central Florida.
FAST is leveraging VeriSign's agreements with major U.S. cell phone
carriers for using the SMPP protocol to deliver SMS text messages to
standard cell phones using a "Shared Responsibility" model. This allows
individuals to subscribe to the national system to receive text message
notifications for their ZIP codes and from specified groups. Most other
emergency alert providers generally charge organizations large setup and
annual fees, then a fee per subscriber and/or a fee per message sent.
With FAST, any individual desiring emergency alerts may subscribe
through their cell phone company for only 99 cents per month. The
organizations licensed to send messages do not incur any expense.
The FAST application receives information directly from NOAA (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) so that severe storm and other
weather-related warnings specific to a subscriber's registered zip codes
will be sent to his/her cell phone. For more information, contact Lynn
Martin at 561-750-9800 x232; email: lynn@transmediagroup.com.
# # #
|
|
|
|
|
|
