FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2008

Digital Billboards Assist Florida Emergency Preparations

Tampa, FL - For the first time, digital billboards are being used to help guide people through preparations for a major weather emergency. As Florida braces for the arrival of Tropical Storm Fay, the Florida Division of Emergency Management is turning to a new partnership, formed in June with the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association (FOAA) for help.

“We are proud to be a partner with the state of Florida in providing vital information to Floridians in their hour of need,” said Charlotte Audie, FOAA President and CEO. “Digital billboards are becoming a vital part of public safety operations and this is the next logical step.”

Digital billboards began displaying emergency alert information yesterday in specific targeted areas (such as Tampa and Fort Myers) to alert drivers to the emergency. Electronic billboard messages began running in Orlando, Ocala and Lakeland today. The information is being provided by outdoor advertising companies free of charge as a service to the community.

“Outdoor advertising companies are and have always been deeply involved in their communities,” said Nancy Fletcher, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America’s President and CEO. “The Florida program is clearly in the vanguard of how this technology can be used to make America safer.”

The images on the billboards are being updated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management as new information becomes available. Because digital billboards are updated by computer, these changes are put before the public nearly instantaneously.

The digital billboards will be an active part of the alert until the danger has passed.

OAAA is the trade association representing the outdoor advertising industry. It is dedicated to leading and uniting a responsible outdoor advertising industry that is committed to serving the needs of consumers, advertisers, and the public. The nearly 1,000 OAAA member companies generate more than $7.2 billion annually in ad revenues, representing more than 90% of industry income, and donate space to charitable organizations in excess of $400 million each year.

Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA)
1850 M Street, N.W., Suite 1040
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 833-5566
E-Mail: jgolimowski@oaaa.org
Website URL: www.oaaa.org