There's a New Way to Keep Up on Vail
Information on road conditions, parking, emergency alerts and other
public safety announcements are being broadcast on a new low-power radio
frequency in Vail following a recent technology upgrade.
Vail's traveler information advisories can now be found at AM 1610, replacing the AM 530 frequency
which had been in place since 1996.
The new system provides an improved signal that covers most areas of
town from East Vail to West Vail and an enhanced software package that
enables dispatchers from the Vail Public Safety Communications Center to
record timely updates.
The previous system experienced an insufficient radio signal and was difficult to update.
Testing of the new system, which has been licensed by the Federal
Communications Commission as a traveler information station, has been
underway for several weeks. The programming includes prerecorded
announcements on non-emergency topics such as parking and transit that
loop continuously. Additional capabilities include live emergency
information alerts such as a wildfire evacuation, Vail Pass closures or
when other dangers threaten the community.
The station has an extended backup system for uninterrupted
broadcasting during power outages and should be considered a primary
information source during an emergency, according to Joe Ribeiro,
director of the Vail Public Safety Communications Center on behalf of
the Vail Police Department.
The $44,000 system was installed by Information Station Specialists,
Inc., (ISS) based in Zeeland, Mich., which provides traveler information
systems for governments and airports across the country, including the
City and County of Denver; Breckenridge; Estes Park; Denver
International Airport; Chicago O'Hare International Airport; Palm
Springs, Calif., Austin, Texas; and Fort Myers Beach, Fla. ISS was
determined to be the only vendor able to meet Vail's technical
requirements including ease of operation, reliability and expansion
capabilities.
Signs have been placed along the North Frontage Road in East Vail,
South Frontage Road in West Vail, plus Interstate 70 at milemarker 173
eastbound and milemarker 180.5 westbound to notify motorists of the
traveler information station.
In addition to AM 1610, the Town of Vail will continue to use its other
emergency notification systems to alert the community when timing is
critical, including www.ecalert.org ( http://www.ecalert.org/ ); the 911
call back system; cable TV channel 10; www.vailgov.com
( http://www.vailgov.com/ ); and local news media outlets.
For more information, contact Ribeiro at 479-2231.
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