Emergency Radio Broadcasting in Australia

[AustralianAerial]

Via @Brad1 in the RDS thread - KLFM Bendigo using RDS to push out emergency alerts

Radio Data System (RDS)

With the shocking Flood situation here in Regional Vic, KLFM continue to provide Emergency updates as an Official Emergency Broadcaster. We also utilise our RDS for warning messages. A few photos of our RDS. [RDS 2] [RDS 1] [RDS 4] [RDS 3]

@bacco007

there is a real issue around how we treat Floods as an emergency especially how it’s communicated

On another note: has anyone observed the SEWS been used in NSW or Tasmania during this flooding event? I haven’t in Victoria, which is particularly odd given it is rather ubiquitous in bushfire season.

The Victorian guidelines for the SEWS indicates warnings for a major flood as an appropriate use of the SEWS.

SEWS may be broadcast immediately before an emergency warning or group of warnings for an emergency, or threat of an emergency, including:

• major fires
• major floods
• major severe storms and their associated storm surges
• earthquakes
• chemical hazards and any associated major pollution
• any other significant emergency

Then again, with as many as 100 warnings across the state at one time - including multiple warnings within a broadcast area - perhaps it was at risk of being overused and therefore less effective?