Broadcast radios tuned to the VHF public service band are being viewed as a mainstay of public safety in Santa Barbara County, California. These are NOAA Weather Radios, tuned to the National Weather Service, and they are a high priority for the county's Office of Emergency Management. The broadcast receivers provide emergency information -- such as evacuation notices or orders to shelter in place -- when other forms of alerts cannot get through.
In addition to carrying weather information, the radios automatically sound an alarm tone when an emergency alert goes out, even if the radio is powered off. County officials believe that disabled people, low-income residents and residents in rural communities with poor cellular reception are among those who would benefit most from these radios. The office of emergency management expects to announce a project to get these radios distributed to residents in vulnerable communities, a project funded by a grant from the California governor's Office of Emergency Services and its Next Generation Warning System grant program.
The radios and assistive devices geared toward persons with disabilities are expected to be available by spring.
