New AI-Driven BEACON Emergency Alert System Debuts at Public Media Station WUFT-FM
The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) today announced the nation’s first installation of the BEACON (Broadcast Emergency Alerting and Communications Operations Network) emergency alert system. BEACON is a groundbreaking, AI-driven public safety service that provides an always-on, text-to-speech platform and automates the broadcasting of critical safety and emergency information in multiple languages before, during and after a disaster.
BEACON combines new AI technology with the power of broadcast radio to increase accessibility and get messages directly to the communities that need it most via AM radio, FM HD channels and a mobile app. Broadcast technology is extremely reliable during disasters when loss of power and cell phone tower outages can cause interruptions in a community’s ability to receive critical safety information.
The service was conceived of at UFCJC and developed with funding from the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) and technology from Futuri Media. The BEACON stream is now available to residents of North Central Florida on WUFT-FM radio frequency 89.1 HD-4, via online stream at WUFT.org or on the BEACON mobile app, available for download from the App Store and Google Play.
BEACON was formally announced on Dec. 18 at a press conference held at the College.
“The University of Florida’s public media enterprise has a rich history of public service, including the launch of the nationally recognized Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) in 2013, leveraging the resiliency of broadcast media,” said Randy Wright, executive director of the College’s Division of Media Properties, who originally conceived of the BEACON service. “With BEACON, we can harness the power of AI to exponentially increase the amount and timeliness of information to millions of Floridians when they need it the most. We are grateful for the support and investments from FDEM and look forward to our continued collaboration with trusted, Florida emergency agencies.”
Safety messaging automatically uploaded from real-time National Weather Service and Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) alerts, as well as updates from FDEM and local county emergency management offices, are converted to high-quality, natural-sounding speech and broadcast on dedicated radio channels and available 24 hours a day. Currently, the text-to-speech conversion will deliver updates in both Spanish and English, with plans to add Haitian Creole and other languages in the near future.
An example of BEACON’s use during Hurricane Milton can be heard here.
WUFT and FPREN, both based at UFCJC, will continue to work with FDEM to bring the technology to additional regions of the state.
Posted: December 19, 2024
Category: AI at CJC News, College News
Tagged as: AIatUF, BEACON, Emergency Alerts, FDEM, FPREN, Futuri, Randy Wright
