"We have been donating free signs and support for years, especially during natural disasters, but we are taking it up a notch during this global crisis with this new program that is formalizing what we were already doing," said Andy Souders, CEO of ATS. "We are always looking for new ways to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and give back to those in need right now. This program will bridge the gap between stretched police budgets and limited grant funding."
The pandemic has spurred an increase in demand for message boards that share public information as cities are looking for ways to communicate with the public about best practices to flatten the curve. ATS says it has quickly responded by supporting local city officials and law enforcement with new signage, which provide emergency updates, COVID testing site messages, park closures, and hazard alerts.
"As a public safety provider, communication is a key component of our everyday operation," says Sheriff Jay Jones of Lee County, AL. “The InstAlert24 Message sign has enhanced our ability to provide information to our citizens at high visibility locations and at incident-specific scenes. We believe it has given us an additional component to work toward the goal of providing for the safety of our community."
ATS' solutions are in use by more than 5,000 municipalities and law enforcement agencies in all 50 states. The company says it continues to be focused on road safety in addition to public safety messaging.
The company recently provided a report showing the effectiveness of radar message signs in keeping speeds in check, resulting in safer neighborhoods during COVID. Leveraging data from TraffiCloud, ATS conducted an extensive analysis of a handful of communities and found that an overwhelming majority are still responding to digital signs that show a driver's speed. The report shows that average speeds have decreased along with the decrease in traffic volumes.
