Arlington, Va. Launches Emergency Radio Station

Residents of Arlington, Virginia, can now tune into 1700AM Arlington, a new emergency radio station with the capability of providing up-to-the-minute information during an incident or emergency. At an official launch event on Monday, October 16, the new station began broadcasting.

"1700AM Arlington is a terrific new tool in our emergency management toolbox," said Robert P. Griffin, Arlington's director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). "We'll be able to share the latest Arlington-specific information with anyone who has an AM radio. During power outages, we can still send information to residents who have battery-powered radios in their emergency preparedness kits. It's another way to provide emergency communications to the public."

The OEM has been working on this project for more than two years. With a single antenna and transmitter, 1700AM Arlington produces a signal capable of being received anywhere in Arlington county. It is similar to the radio systems used by airports to share information on parking, such as Washington Reagan National Airport.

During power outages, 1700AM Arlington runs on a generator. Residents can tune in via a battery-powered radio or one that operates by power generated through hand-winding. The station equipment is located in two redundant secure locations in secure County facilities. The Arlington Citizen Corps Council and its Public Emergency Communications Committee recommended the installation of an emergency radio station and have been tremendous supporters of the project from the beginning.

People who live and work in Arlington can sign up for Arlington Alert, a free service that sends emergency text messages to mobile devices and e-mail accounts.

KW