Small Town News

Spokane County now offering new alert system via telephone, e-mail

---

Starting this week, Spokane County has implemented an emergency community warning system that is able to send emergency messages via telephone, cellular phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or email to residents and businesses located within the county.

This system may be used by emergency response personnel to notify specific homes and businesses at risk with specific information about an emergency event. Those who sign up for the service will only be called when the associated address will be impacted by an emergency.

Officials have cautioned against relying exclusively on the Emergency Notification System call for evacuation directives because there are no guarantees that everyone affected will receive a notification by phone. Residents should also follow directions given by emergency personnel or by broadcast radio/television. The Emergency Notification System supplements

the Emergency Alert System in an attempt to reach nearly all households and businesses with initial emergency information. Residents will also need to rely on information provided by the EAS system or other broadcast channels for the latest updates because the ENS system is not designed to provide supplemental information.

The system is already programmed with landline phone numbers (both listed and unlisted) from phone company records. However, unless residents register it cannot contact cellular phones, VoIP phones or email addresses. If the call is picked up by an answering machine, it will leave a message and not retry the call. If the number is busy or does not answer, the system will make two additional attempts. Also, this system can contact TTY/TDD devices used by the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

To learn more and to register visit www.alertspokane.org.



Copyright 2010 Cheney Free Press, Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 Cheney Free Press Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

More from Cheney Free Press