The tragic loss of life in Austin, Texas due to flash floods in July 2025 affected us deeply. While nothing could have prevented these fateful events, early investigations indicate that cellular-based warning systems are of limited effectiveness. In a crisis, specific details and clear action statements are necessary to save lives. Most emergency alert systems utilize text messaging (also known as Short Message Service or SMS) to inform people in harm’s way. Unfortunately, these warnings are not foolproof. If emergency alerts are sent in the middle of the night, there is no guarantee that recipients will hear them or respond to them in a timely manner. And if the alert lacks clear instructions and specific location information, so recipients will know what to do and where to go to remain safe, then they are not completely effective.
Tragedy after tragedy proves that cellular-only communications leave gaps in emergency alertness – from poor cellular coverage, power interruptions, or user issues. No matter how advanced technology becomes, people often ignore these messages if they are in an area prone to emergency message saturation, and sometimes the lag time between when a message is sent and when someone actually receives it can delay action. It is also important to recognize that not everyone owns a cell phone or even has it nearby 24 hours a day. Plus, people often base their current actions on previous experiences with similar situations. Having escaped one emergency unscathed instills a false sense of optimism regarding similar outcomes. People who live in flood-prone areas may choose to ignore a warning if they have evacuated unnecessarily in the past.
So how can we make emergency communications more effective?
Haloid believes that a hybrid approach — one that includes using cellular and radio communications simultaneously — is the most effective approach to life-saving communication. In fact, this was what inspired us to initially create HaloidNotify, which united both systems by allowing mass digital notifications to be sent to an API interface efforts and eventually to legacy 2-way radios.
Today, we want to inspire dreamers to help make radio-based alert systems more affordable and accessible, so we’re offering free (including shipping) Motorola VHF repeaters to U.S.-based college students who commit to designing and building a prototype version of a low-cost emergency alert and notification system that operates over radio airwaves. The alerts can be for weather, natural disasters, or any life-threatening emergency.
It is important that students differentiate their design from NOAA's radio alert system. The design is intended for small municipialities or groups to deploy for hyperlocal alert types - without the help of larger institutions or expensive infrastructure. Alerts type could measure height of a river, active shooters, or any life-threatning emergency. It should not be a copy of NOAA's system - or affiliated with NOAA.
The student with the best design, as chosen by Haloid's engineers, will receive a $2,500 cash prize.
To participate, candidates must agree to share their designs with the public, so that others can benefit from what is learned. More rules, and an entry form, are below.