HEARO
Encyclopedia
The HEARO Local Alert Receiver is an emergency management
tool to relay and display informational text messages in English, Spanish, French and German using RDS
technology. It notifies local residents in the event of an emergency
within a matter of seconds. HEARO carries NOAA weather warnings and other public safety
text alerts. Using FM radio infrastructure and a 60-hour battery
life, HEARO works when electricity, telephone and Internet are out. It functions by having a single operator send text messages to the receivers. viaRadio Corporation of Melbourne, Florida
manufacturers and distributes HEARO receivers.
HEARO is the only publicly available implementation of any component of a Common Alerting Protocol
-based alert message transfer system. It can also provide NOAA Weather Radio updates.
adopted the HEARO system after its volunteer fire department
experimented with it for a year. Indialantic officials wanted an effective method to alert its residents to emergencies, particularly during hurricane season
when the only means of evacuating the barrier island
is over one of the causeway
s. The system is also in use in Palm Bay, Florida
.
Leon County Schools
in Tallahassee, Florida
adopted the HEARO system in 2008. By placing the HEARO receivers in schools and all district facilities, LCS plans to inform the schools' administration of lock downs, weather emergencies and other pertinent information. viaRadio works with other school systems around the country including Florida's Brevard Public Schools for more than a year.
The Caribbean island Montserrat
utilizes the HEARO to alert residents of volcanic activity and other hazards
. Coordinated by the Disaster Management Co-ordination Agency (DMCA), with assistance from the Royal Montserrat Defence Force and the Royal Montserrat Police Force
, the local disaster agency has started the distribution of HEARO Local Alert Receivers to residents in the most vulnerable areas. The goal of the program is to place the advanced early warning radio in every home, business, school and other critical agencies on island.
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
tool to relay and display informational text messages in English, Spanish, French and German using RDS
Radio Data System
Radio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...
technology. It notifies local residents in the event of an emergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
within a matter of seconds. HEARO carries NOAA weather warnings and other public safety
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
text alerts. Using FM radio infrastructure and a 60-hour battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
life, HEARO works when electricity, telephone and Internet are out. It functions by having a single operator send text messages to the receivers. viaRadio Corporation of Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
manufacturers and distributes HEARO receivers.
HEARO is the only publicly available implementation of any component of a Common Alerting Protocol
Common Alerting Protocol
The Common Alerting Protocol is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting technologies. CAP allows a warning message to be consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning systems to many applications...
-based alert message transfer system. It can also provide NOAA Weather Radio updates.
Active systems
Indialantic, FloridaIndialantic, Florida
Indialantic is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The name is a portmanteau derived from the town's location between the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean....
adopted the HEARO system after its volunteer fire department
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
experimented with it for a year. Indialantic officials wanted an effective method to alert its residents to emergencies, particularly during hurricane season
Hurricane season
Hurricane season refers to a period in a year when hurricanes usually form. For more information see: Tropical cyclone#Times.* The Atlantic hurricane seasonFor a lists of past seasons, see:...
when the only means of evacuating the barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
is over one of the causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
s. The system is also in use in Palm Bay, Florida
Palm Bay, Florida
Palm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as 100,786 on 1 July 2008; it is the most populous city in the county...
.
Leon County Schools
Leon County Schools
Leon County Schools is a school district serving Leon County, Florida and based in Tallahassee.As of the 2004 - 2005 school year, it has about 34,100 students, 2209 teachers and 2100 administrative and support personnel. The current superintendent of schools is Jackie Pons.-History:Education in...
in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
adopted the HEARO system in 2008. By placing the HEARO receivers in schools and all district facilities, LCS plans to inform the schools' administration of lock downs, weather emergencies and other pertinent information. viaRadio works with other school systems around the country including Florida's Brevard Public Schools for more than a year.
The Caribbean island Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
utilizes the HEARO to alert residents of volcanic activity and other hazards
Hazards
Hazards is the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major international awards. A recurring theme in the magazine is that workplace unions are the best hope for better, safer work - and Hazards says it provides the information and resources to make the union job easier. Hazards looks...
. Coordinated by the Disaster Management Co-ordination Agency (DMCA), with assistance from the Royal Montserrat Defence Force and the Royal Montserrat Police Force
Royal Montserrat Police Force
Royal Montserrat Police Force is the Royal Police Force of Montserrat in the Caribbean. The Royal Title was bestowed on the force in 1966, and The Royal Montserrat Police Force became autonomous on the 27 February 1967....
, the local disaster agency has started the distribution of HEARO Local Alert Receivers to residents in the most vulnerable areas. The goal of the program is to place the advanced early warning radio in every home, business, school and other critical agencies on island.
See also
- emergency managementEmergency managementEmergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
- Common Alerting ProtocolCommon Alerting ProtocolThe Common Alerting Protocol is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting technologies. CAP allows a warning message to be consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning systems to many applications...
- NOAA Weather Radio
- Emergency population warningEmergency population warningAn emergency population warning is a method whereby local, regional, or national authorities can contact members of the public en masse to warn them of an impending emergency...
- Radio Data SystemRadio Data SystemRadio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...