St. Joseph, Missouri Emergency Override System
StarlightFantasy
Video captures courtesy of
MightyFalcon2011 and VHS Land of Videos
Background
The town of Saint Joseph, Missouri once had an emergency override system for cable customers for an unknown period of time. The town's communication center was responsible for activations of the system.
1st alert screen (Unknown year, possibly before 1990?-unknown year before 2002)
Visuals: Upon activation, the screen cuts to black before the following text, in white and a blocky font with a box composed of red asterisks, appears:
* EMERGENCY ALERT *
*******************
AUDIO DETAILS
FROM OUR
POLICE / FIRE
COMMUNICATIONS
CENTER
Technique: A still, digital graphic.
Audio: A trilling tone that precedes the alert message from authorities.
Availability: Presumably activated for testing or during impending or ongoing emergencies at the time, reportedly for local subscribers of NPG Cablevision.[1] In the attached video, the system was activated for a tornado watch issued for Buchanan County, Missouri, and the original uploader roughly estimates the year of this activation to be 1990.[2] The exact dates of when this iteration of the system was first and last used are currently unknown.
2nd alert screen (Unknown year after 1990-unknown retirement date)
 | The video of this logo may be too loud or severely distorted. |
Visuals: Upon activation, the screen cuts to a slide containing the following text on a grey background:
from the
POLICE / FIRE
COMMUNICATIONS
CENTER
After a few moments, the screen cuts to another slide, this time with a red background, with the stacked, white text "EMERGENCY ALERT!" in the center of the screen. Two lines of twenty-five asterisks also quickly flash in and out above and below the text. After another brief period of time, the screen cuts back to the first slide. This repeats until the end of the alert.
Technique: Digital slides possibly made by a character generator. The first slide is static while the second utilizes simple digital effects for he flashing asterisks.
Audio: A louder, more distorted version of the trill tone used for the first alert screen.
Availability: Presumably activated for testing or during impending or ongoing emergencies at the time. In the attached video, the system was activated on December 9, 2003 to announce the enforcement of the first level of a snow ordinance. The exact dates of when this iteration of the system was first and last used are currently unknown.
References
- ↑ "Transmitted via NPG Cablevision." - Description of "1990 St. Joseph Communications Center Emergency Alert", uploaded by MightyFalcon2011
- ↑ "Cable programming is interrupted to notify of a tornado watch in Buchanan County, Missouri. Rough guess on the year." - Description of "1990 St. Joseph Communications Center Emergency Alert", uploaded by MightyFalcon2011
