Florida AI Broadcast System Unifies Disaster Communications

With natural disasters becoming more unpredictable, Florida’s emergency teams have seen firsthand this year how crucial timely and reliable communication can be in saving lives.

To address this rising need, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) has partnered with Futuri, the University of Florida, and the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) to launch BEACON, an artificial intelligence-driven broadcast system designed to streamline emergency communication in a crisis.

BEACON, the Broadcast Emergency Alerts and Communications Operations Network, enhances FPREN’s capabilities — using AI to transform written updates from emergency managers into real-time, 24/7 audio broadcasts. It consolidates verified data and delivers continuous updates through the BEACON app, broadcaster dashboards and over-the-air channels, ensuring important information reaches even remote communities. Unlike other systems, which rely on multiple channels with varying reach, BEACON provides a unified message across several platforms through one tool, according to FDEM.

“This collaboration with FPREN, the state university radio network facilitated by the University of Florida, and Futuri delivers technology that begins as text and is easily transformed into audio, using any voice we choose, whether it’s mine, the governor’s, or a radio personality’s,” Kevin Guthrie, executive director of FDEM, said. ”It ensures consistent messaging during a disaster.”

Guthrie’s team stress-tested BEACON extensively during Hurricane Helene, putting out more than 4,000 messages to ensure it could handle multiple data inputs simultaneously. The system also helped combat misinformation during a disaster, via social media.

“It allows us to put out unfiltered information,” Guthrie explained. “Whatever we put into the text, that’s what gets converted into a voiceover over the radio or other platforms as 100 percent our message, not being filtered through anyone else.”

One of BEACON’s standout features is its ability to deliver multilingual, localized updates, addressing a gap in traditional emergency systems.

“Emergency alerts have previously been limited to English, and we had non-English-speaking residents across the country who couldn’t receive critical information in a format they could understand,” Daniel Anstandig, CEO and co-founder of Futuri, said. BEACON uses AI to translate messages, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.

Hosted on GovCloud and supported by Starlink satellite connectivity, the system remains operational even when Internet and cellular networks fail — using power generators and a network of state-owned radio stations to offer an extra layer of resiliency.

“Typically, the most resilient and hardened infrastructure in any local area is the broadcast infrastructure,” Anstandig said. “This is the last communication channel that the government will use to communicate with local citizens, and we are operating through a network of geographically dispersed broadcast stations so there’s diversity.”

Even if some stations are impacted by local infrastructure failures, according to Anstandig, others can still broadcast critical information using BEACON, providing a far-reaching lifeline. Its capabilities can extend to tornadoes, wildfires and major highway incidents.

“Since Florida is the first state in the country, to our knowledge, that has implemented this type of technology and is utilizing it in conjunction with state university system radio networks, we think that other states will probably look to us for a lot of response capability,” Guthrie said, indicating he anticipates other states will see it as a model for effective response and preparedness communication.

FDEM envisions BEACON will continue to evolve, with potential enhancements including real-time updates on hurricane paths and tailored preparedness information for specific areas. To raise awareness about it, the division is hosting press events, interviews and demonstrations to encourage broadcasters and Florida residents to tune in for emergency information.

Future partnerships on AI integration will require public-private collaboration, the Futuri CEO said, but “if it's done well, it can reduce the time it takes to respond to complex and fast-moving scenarios, and ultimately save lives.”

*This story first appeared in Government Technology, a sister publication of Industry Insider — Florida.