For more than two years, Ústí nad Labem has been operating a total of 681 digital announcers and 1,731 loudspeakers under the acronym VISO as a modern warning and information system for the population. VISO covers a large part of the city and provides an effective and rapid means of timely warning and reporting before the consequences or threats of various extraordinary events – whether fires, floods, accidents, or even as part of assistance in searching for missing persons.
The system underwent its first “live” deployment during the flood activities in December 2023, when it provided citizens with necessary information and warnings. Apart from this, fortunately so far unique, extraordinary event, the system is exceptionally used for significant informational announcements, such as last year’s reminder of the anniversary of the events of November 17th.
Every month, specifically on the first Wednesday, the system is tested, which contributes to verifying its reliability and functionality. From a technical perspective, the system continues to work perfectly, with only the replacement of some external batteries planned, where lower performance was recorded by the system. A novelty for this year is the planned expansion of the system into two more streets in Předlice, which will further increase the coverage and availability of the mentioned safety features in this area of the city.
Thanks to its bidirectionality and the ability to operate independently for 72 hours even in the event of a power outage, the system provides continuous monitoring and reliability. The system also includes eight modernized LED warning lights that can stop traffic around the SPOLCHEMIE area in the event of an extraordinary event and contribute to effective evacuation measures.
Thanks to the VISO system, Ústí nad Labem ranks among the few Czech cities that have a top-notch modern warning system.