Official notifications of emergency situations in the Claremore area will be broadcast on RSU Radio FM 91.3 as the result of a new partnership between the Claremore Police Department and Rogers State University.
The police department and university entered into the agreement to enhance public safety by providing timely notification of important emergency announcements, said Mickey Perry, Claremore police chief.
The City of Claremore donated a generator that will provide back-up power both to the radio station and the police department’s radio equipment to ensure timely communication if electrical power is lost.
“This new partnership will allow us to communicate with the public during an emergency situation, particularly when we experience a loss of power,” Perry said. “It is a win-win situation for the police department and the university, but more importantly, it will positively impact public safety.”
In the event of an emergency situation requiring mass public notification, the Claremore city manager, police chief or fire chief, or their official designees, will contact authorized personnel at RSU Radio, said Stan Brown, assistant police chief. The radio station will proceed to broadcast the emergency information on a timely basis.
Emergency notifications may be necessary during incidents such as severe weather, natural disasters, chemical spills or other biohazards, Brown said.
The emergency power generator, which operates on diesel fuel, was installed at the radio tower complex that broadcasts the signal for RSU Radio and houses the police department’s communications equipment. It provides 60 kilowatts of continuous power during the loss of electricity.
During a power outage, the generator will power the radio station signal transmission equipment and the police department’s two way radio communication equipment, allowing public safety officials to continue utilizing their dispatch and other communication equipment, Brown said.
“We are pleased to offer the university’s radio signals to broadcast important emergency information,” said RSU President Dr. Larry Rice. “We consider the emergency communication to be an important service to the community.”
RSU Radio, also known as KRSC-FM 91.3, operates with 3,000 watts and can be heard in Rogers County and the surrounding areas. The station is operated by RSU students, faculty and staff, as well as community volunteers. It is the only live broadcast, college-operated radio station in northeast Oklahoma.
“We are grateful to the City of Claremore for donating the generator allowing us to continue broadcasting during the loss of electrical power,” said Cathy Coomer, general manager of RSU Radio.
The generator was formerly utilized by the Claremore Fire Department. However, after City officials determined that a larger generator was required to provide power to the fire department’s facilities, they determined that the original generator could be donated to RSU to provide back-up power for the radio station.