SAN DIEGO, CA, Sept. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LRAD Corporation (NASDAQ: LRAD), a global leader in long range voice broadcast systems, advanced mass notification, and distributed recipient solutions, today addressed critical wildfire emergency notification issues in the Western U.S. and Canada.
“Wildfires in California and throughout the West are becoming larger, increasingly frequent, and endangering more residents,” stated Richard S. Danforth, Chief Executive Officer of LRAD Corporation. “With 58 people dying in California due to wildfires the past two years, emergency managers and local officials tasked with issuing emergency notifications and evacuation orders need additional resources to protect and save lives.”
Just months after last year's deadly North Bay fires, the Atherton, CA city council and Menlo Park Fire District board agreed that providing audible voice warnings to residents in the path of wildfires, flooding and other emergencies was a top priority. Many residents affected by the fires said they were not warned as fires swept toward their homes. Emergency agencies reported that phone line failures and power outages made sending warnings impossible in some cases. Some fatalities were attributed to the lack of warnings.
“Most emergency warning systems sound sirens, but are incapable of broadcasting clear voice notifications; bullhorns and vehicle P.A. systems have limited broadcast range and poor vocal intelligibility,” continued Danforth. “Self-contained, self-powered LRAD systems broadcast critical information and potentially lifesaving instructions with the industry's best voice clarity and largest communication coverage areas.”
Atherton and Menlo Park officials conducted a ‘sound off’ between the mobile LRAD 360XT system and the area’s siren warning installation in April. “The side by side test was very helpful and everyone agreed that the LRAD system completely outperformed the older siren system,” said Fire District Emergency Manager, Ryan Zollicoffer. As a result of the ‘sound off’, the Menlo Park Fire District purchased an LRAD 360XT last month.
In June, the La Plata County Sheriff's Department magnetically mounted an LRAD 100X to one of its trucks and used it to broadcast fire warnings and evacuation orders to residents living along U.S. Highway 550 during the 416 Fire.
Helicopter-mounted LRAD systems were used in South America this summer to broadcast fire prevention messages to populations living in drought-stricken areas of Colombia.
“Automated phone calls, emails, text messages, social media, and other emergency notification measures are only effective if directories are current and transmission systems remain functional during local or widespread power outages,” concluded Danforth. “During the chaos and confusion created by wildfires, LRAD systems always deliver emergency notifications and evacuation orders that are clearly heard and understood.”
For more information on LRAD Fire Safety and Emergency Notification solutions, visit: https://www.lradx.com/firerescue/. To schedule an LRAD demonstration, go to: https://www.lradx.com/contact/where-to-buy/.
About LRAD Corporation
The Company's proprietary Long Range Acoustic Devices®, advanced ONE VOICE® mass notification systems, and innovative Genasys™ mass messaging solutions are designed to enable users to safely hail and warn, inform and direct, prevent misunderstandings, determine intent, establish large safety zones, resolve uncertain situations, and save lives.
LRAD systems are in service in 72 countries around the world in diverse applications including mass notification, defense, law enforcement and public safety, homeland and border security, critical infrastructure protection, fire rescue and emergency management, maritime and port security, and wildlife control and preservation. For more information, please visit LRAD.com.