Florida Division of Emergency Management unveils BEACON radio system
The Florida Division of Emergency Management, with assistance from the University of Florida, unveiled a new program on Wednesday that uses artificial intelligence to deliver real-time messaging before, during and after a disaster strikes.
The Broadcast Emergency Alerts and Communications Operations Network, or BEACON, pulls relevant information from the local, state and federal levels and converts that information from text to voice to deliver over the airwaves in minutes what could previously take hours.
“BEACON combines new technology with the reliability and power of broadcast radio to deliver messages directly to the communities that need them the most through AM radio, FM HD channels and the BEACON mobile app,” said FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie, speaking from UF’s College of Journalism and Communications. “In the state of Florida we have never lost a radio broadcast tower with all of the storms that have hit here.”
Guthrie said the system was tested during Hurricanes and Helene and Milton, and successfully put out more than 4,000 messages.
“I guarantee you, sometime over the next decade, that we will save lives,” Guthrie said.
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Agencies likely to use the system include the National Weather Service, the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), the Department of Emergency Management and other local, state and federal organizations.
BEACON will operate 24/7 and will initially launch on the university’s WUFT-FM HD4, which serves the entire Gainesville-Ocala market. FDEM hopes to provide the service to as much of Florida as possible before the 2025 hurricane season begins in June. Messages are currently available in both English and Spanish, with plans to add Haitian Creole and other languages as the program expands.
“With the incorporation of artificial intelligence, BEACON is the natural progression of WUFT’s public service model and is really a powerful testament to the nation’s and university’s and the station’s commitment to public service and safety,” said interim UF President Kent Fuchs.
Craig Fugate, former director of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and Alachua County Emergency Management, emphasized BEACON’s ability to reach smaller communities in more rural areas of the state with targeted information.
He also pointed out that BEACON is not meant to replace the Emergency Alert System or other warnings.
“It complements those warnings by now giving people actionable information about what they need to do,” Fugate said. “This has been a longtime coming.”
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