Czech Radio testing new radio warning system for emergencies
National public broadcaster Czech Radio is testing a new system designed to warn the public of emergencies through radio broadcasting. The technology will eventually allow listeners to be alerted quickly about events such as floods, fires or power outages with immediate advice regarding what to do.
Czech Radio carried out a nationwide test of the technology last week on both conventional radio receivers and a number of DAB+ digital radios.
The new system, known as ASA, or Automatic Safety Alert, is designed to interrupt regular radio programming when an emergency occurs. It can display a warning on a receiver, play an alert sound and, on compatible DAB+ radios, even switch on a receiver that has been turned off.
The test did not involve an actual emergency. Receivers were sent a simple warning signal to check whether they responded correctly. In a real emergency, the alert could be followed by information explaining what had happened and what people should do.
Activating the system is as simple as pressing a red button which triggers a warning sound and a flashing ‘alarm’ or ‘alert’ message on receivers. Czech Radio reporter Karolína Burdová, who was in the technical room during the test, explains how it works.
“Czech Radio sends out the alert warning in two ways. One uses the same principle as Czech Radio's traffic information system, which can automatically increase the volume of a car radio or switch it from another station. The second uses DAB+ digital broadcasting. The digital system offers an important additional feature: a compatible radio can wake up automatically when it receives an emergency alert, even if it is switched off. It can also switch to Radiožurnál, Czech Radio's main news channel, where listeners can receive further information.”
The two systems have been linked through software developed by Czech Radio. The Automatic Safety Alert system is also connected to the RDS Alarm technology used for warnings on FM radio.
Karel Zýka, Czech Radio's director of technology and administration, said radio could play an important role in emergencies because broadcasting infrastructure can continue working even when other communication networks are overloaded or unavailable.
The system could eventually make warnings more precise. A DAB+ receiver could be configured with a location code, meaning that only radios in an affected area would be activated. This could be useful in situations such as floods, fires or power outages.
The technology is also being developed in other European countries. Future versions are expected to offer even more precise geographical targeting, potentially down to an area of one square kilometre.
For now, the Czech test is mainly about making sure that the technology works when it matters and reaches as many people as possible. The aim is that the warning and immediate advice about what to do should reach people faster than the present combination of sirens, municipal loudspeakers and SMS messages.
