Ando Town, Japan – Town‑Wide Emergency Communications
Situation
Located southeast of Osaka in earthquake‑prone Japan, the town of Ando has approximately 8,000 residents and sits on the northern bank of the Yamato River.
Town authorities use an email service to deliver disaster warnings and town notifications, but not all residents have cell phones, computers or update their email addresses.
Problem
Ando town authorities required a better system capable of transmitting highly intelligible voice communications and musical chimes throughout the town from a single installation so all residents receive emergency messages, public safety announcements and town event information.
In addition to the email service, Ando town authorities used multiple public address vehicles to drive through town broadcasting information on elections, town events and other notifications.
Solution
With the assistance of Marubeni and Towa Engineering, the town installed a Genasys ACOUSTICS 8‑emitter system on the Town Hall roof to supplement and reinforce its email service.
“It has innovative features permitting broadcasts to be heard throughout the entire town. We realized this offered maximum value because our town is approximately 4.33 square kilometers.”
“On a number of occasions we sent staff to different places in the town to see if the system audio volume was high enough to reach every part of the town. They reported they could hear and understand the broadcasts even at places 2 kilometers away from the town hall.”
“Even residents living close to the town hall have no complaints about audio volume. The result is favorable in two ways — not too loud near the source, yet audible far from it.”
- Yasuhiro Nishimoto, Mayor of Ando Town
“Disaster‑related information, town announcements and information on upcoming events are all promptly communicated by voice throughout the town, especially to residents not enrolled in our existing email message service.”
“The system is also automatically linked to the J‑ALERT nationwide instant warning system.”
“We’re also transmitting melodic chimes lasting about one minute twice a day, to test the system and give time signals. Residents are more and more appreciative of the system.”- Mayor Nishimoto
• Genasys Protect gives organizations precision in who they reach, speed to act faster, and clarity that cuts through confusion.
• Genasys Acoustics deliver highly audible and clear voice messaging when emergencies arise.
• Genasys Evertel provides secure, real‑time communication and collaboration.
