Decades of Warning Experience

The management of Alerting Solutions has decades of experience in both warning systems and technology.

Efraim Petel, President

Efraim Petel, B. Sc., is the founder and president of Alerting Solutions, Inc. (formerly Hormann America, Inc.). He is recognized around the world as a leader in the development and implementation of Public Alert and Warning Systems.

 

Mr. Petel is an Electrical Engineer who has specialized in the design and implementation of emergency notification systems for more than 30 years. He grew up in Israel, where he served in the Signal Corps of the Israeli Defense Force, retiring in 1988 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

His military duties included the development and operation of Israel’s national warning system, which has been credited with saving countless lives during attacks from neighboring countries.

When the government of Singapore decided to install an island-wide public warning system, they contracted with Mr. Petel, who served as special consultant to that nation’s civil defense and fire services. The project resulted in the creation of a sophisticated public alert and warning system.

 

Following that, Mr. Petel helped the Republic of China (Taiwan) to modernize its national warning system, which is used to warn of natural disasters and military attack. The system has saved many lives by providing typhoon warnings to the island’s population.

 

In 1992, Mr. Petel and his family immigrated to the United States. There, he began work with Sage Alerting Systems, Inc. where his primary duties included helping the Federal Communications Commission during the transition from the Emergency Broadcast System to the more modern Emergency Alert System. Sage also developed and manufactured an EAS ENDEC (Encoder-Decoder), which today remains the most widely used EAS device in the U.S. commercial broadcasting industry.

 

Mr. Petel’s work with Sage also included installation of a Radio Data System (RDS) based warning system in the State of New Jersey and a warning system in Jefferson County, Texas. Mr. Petel was also chief engineer for the $5,000,000 Community Warning System project in Contra Costa County, CA and was project manager for the Pueblo County (Colorado) Outdoor Warning System.

 

After the FCC’s implementation of the Emergency Alert System, Mr. Petel became Vice President of American Signal Corporation (ASC), a warning siren manufacturer and system engineering company in Milwaukee, WI. During his 4-year stay at American Signal, he was in charge of development and project management for systems throughout the US. The Contra Costa Community Warning System project was transferred to ASC from SAGE, and Mr. Petel became the project manager.

 

In 1999, Mr. Petel established Hormann America, Inc. in Martinez, CA. A joint venture with Hormann GmbH of Kirchseeon, Germany. Hormann GmbH has been in the public warning business since 1955.

 

In the United States, Hormann America’s mission is to assist emergency response professionals with modern alerting and notification systems and products, as well as consulting and design services. Hormann America now manages the projects that Mr. Petel worked on in Pueblo County, CO and Contra Costa County, CA as well as a new, statewide system for the State of California.

 

When the non-profit Partnership for Public Warning decided in 2003 to propose a National Policy for Public Warning, Mr. Petel was asked to join the panel of experts which crafted the landmark plan. He was also involved in the development and demonstration of warning systems using the then-in-development Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), in coordination with Contra Costa County, the State of California and private industry.

 

Mr. Petel and Hormann America have since developed the AlertNET suite of CAP-based products for public and private warning and notification systems.

 

David Coursey, Vice President

Technology expert David Coursey, former CNET, eWEEK, and PC World columnist, brings more than three decades of journalistic and technology experience to his role managing business development and marketing at Hormann America. Mr. Coursey has also developed Common Alerting Protocol applications under contract to a large multinational software company.

 

He is also a first responder with the San Mateo County (CA) Sheriff's Office, a nationally-registered Emergency Medical Technician, and a certified Search-and-Rescue technician. With his experience as both a first responder and broadcaster, Mr. Coursey has, at various times, provided information that triggered an emergency (tornado) warnings, created and transmitted statewide warnings, and interrupted radio programming to read warning messages to the public.

 

Dan Levy,  Director, Hardware Development & Maintenance
L. Daniel Levy has over 18 years of employment in industrial automation with specific experience in motion and logic control circuitry interface, design and implementation.  Prior to Hormann America, Inc., he worked for industry as a field service engineer with goals of reliable machine design and optimization of product throughput, primarily in textile and food industries.
 
For the past 8 years, Dan has focused on automation as it relates to the emergency alerting industry.  Working at Hormann has led to wearing many hats; dealing with not only emergency communication products, but also business communication with customers, vendors, contractors and employees.
 
As Service Department Manager, he is responsible for supervision of all installation and maintenance work performed by Hormann America ’s trained staff of Field Service Engineers as well as designing preventative and predictive maintenance programs for customers’ systems.  Other responsibilities include employee safety and skill training.