Emergency alert update

A few years ago, when the fires blazed in the Quartz-Flat Creek area in Mineral County, firefighters and officials had to go door-to-door to let residences know of the impending danger. Before the implementation of a new 911 emergency alert system, dispatchers had to call one house individually.

A new system will eliminate that need, requiring only a single click to alert an entire area.

“We will be able to go into the computer and click on an area that we need to evacuate,” dispatcher Roni Phillips said. “A recorded message will go out to each residence simultaneously and we won’t have to call each house individually.”

The new system will make it much more convenient to get important messages out to a larger area and will allow messages to be delivered quickly. She said the alerts can also be sent to e-mails and cell phones.

“We’ll be able to automatically let people know what’s going on if something is happening in their area,” Phillips said. “At the touch of a button we can notify people.”

Undersheriff Mike Johnson said the system not only allows people to be alerted of disasters occurring, such as fire, but can also alert people if something criminal is happening in a specific place. Johnson said the system will play a vital role in helping the department to communicate to the public when important information about what’s happening needs to be released.

The department has been working on upgrading the system in dispatch for the last five years. The enhanced system is ready to use, it’s just a matter of those in the office learning to use it. Classes have been offered, but have conflicted with other things happening.

“It’s just a matter of having them teach us how to log on and to be trained,” Phillips said.

The new upgrade also allows dispatch to have three incoming lines to receive telephone calls on. Typically there has only been one dispatcher working in the office, but, with the implementation of the new system, two dispatchers will work.

Phillips said other counties have a similar emergency alert system in place.

“There’s quite a few that have this type of system in place,” Phillips said.