MIAMI—Mobile TV devices will be provided to Florida’s State Emergency Response Team as part of a pilot program to assist first responders with accessing important information during the 2013 hurricane season. Details of the pilot program were unveiled at a joint news conference, featuring the NAB, Florida Association of Broadcasters and Dyle mobile TV, at Florida International University’s Wall of Wind Research Center.
“The June 1 kick-off of hurricane season serves as a reminder that Floridians must be prepared for disasters of all types,” said Bryan Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “Providing timely information is a key element in our communication strategy, and we're grateful to Dyle mobile TV, the NAB, the FAB for giving SERT a chance to test mobile TV's emergency response capabilities.”
Local television stations in more than 140 cities are now delivering live, local TV to smart phones, tablets and other devices, and deploying mobile TV during emergencies will be an extension of broadcasters’ “first informer” role.
“The unfortunate reality is that during an emergency weather situation, local broadcasters are often the only reliable source of information,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith.
“But because of broadcasting's robust ‘one-to-everyone’ transmission architecture, mobile TV is designed to deliver live and local news and information to mobile devices reliably and without interruption,” Smith said.
NAB, in partnership with Dyle, will provide approximately 100 mobile TV devices to be used, and Volunteer Florida will work with their member organizations to test them.
“Mobile TV's use of live and local communication is a critical leap forward in terms of immediacy, impact and simultaneous communication to potentially millions of citizens," said Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-general managers of Dyle mobile TV.
“Florida broadcasters have led the way in educating the public prior to a disaster and keeping them informed when an emergency occurs. Mobile TV is the next step in providing valuable, local, and timely information to our citizens and visitors during a hurricane,” said FAB President Pat Roberts, who explained that his organization has partnered with Florida Division of Emergency Management since Hurricane Andrew to provide emergency information.
