Alert Monterey County sends text alerts in emergencies
Blog note: this
article cites a grand jury report on the subject.
SALINAS, Calif. —Monterey County Emergency
created a new emergency notification system called Alert Monterey
County that will keep residents better informed.
It's a system manager Sherrie Collins says
could save lives.
"If we had a wild land fire, like we
recently had with Tassajara, we can notify you to evacuate. If we had a
situation -- say we had a hazardous material spill and we wanted a neighborhood
to shelter in place -- then we could use the system," Collins said.
Since the program started in 2009, the
emergency notification system has 9,000 users. But with nearly half a million
residents in Monterey County, Collins says that number should be larger.
The problem is Monterey County's Emergency
Communication Center has no way of reaching most cellphone users in the county.
"The problem is cellphone numbers. Many
of our citizens have given up their land lines. So as a result of that, we have
lost the ability to contact folks," Collins said.
According to a civil grand jury
report, the county cannot send emergency alerts to more than 60 percent of
residents. As cellphone use increases, people are getting rid
of landlines.
If people want to get mobile
alerts, they have to register their phone with Alert Monterey County.
"(We) notify them not only of a natural
disaster but, say, if (there is) a fugitive on the loose, we can alert the
public. (It would) be nice to have the capability," Monterey County
Sheriff Steve Bernal said.
The Office of Emergency Services will issue a
practice alert Thursday between noon and 12:30 p.m. for the Great ShakeOut.
Residents interested in
signing up can do so here: http://www.alertmontereycounty.org/.
October 14, 2015
KSBW.com
By Lauren Seaver
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