Help is just a click away

Posted: July 2, 2009

The advent of the Internet has sent the world sprawling into a wild tangle of connections. We are connected to stats and constant updates on our favorite sports teams. We can find out what the hottest celebrity had for lunch today when they tweet it. A boundless amount of information is at our fingertips - some of that information useful, much of it good for nothing more than keeping us amused and soaking up free time.

Waukesha County Communications is putting that tool to good use, through an emergency alert system that has elevated the way it can notify the public of danger.

"Previously, we could only do 12 calls at a time" to alert people of an emergency situation, said Waukesha County Executive Assistant Julianne Klimetz. So when the June 2008 floods closed roads and created a natural disaster throughout much of the county, it took dispatchers three days to contact residents.

With its new system, with the click of a button, dispatchers can alert 100 to 1,000 to 100,000 people to an emergency in a mere moment.

How it works

An initial call or alert will come in from an emergency official. Dispatchers will take down the information and, using a map, create a target area that includes homes and businesses that need to be alerted. By creating that target area, the system is able to pull up all the phone numbers and e-mails that are registered there. Once the dispatcher finishes the message, he or she clicks send, and immediately, the alert is sent out to everyone in that area.

Training and Operations Manager Sherri Stigler offered an example:

"Say there is a situation where the police have barricaded a suspect in a home. If it's a home that is on a lot with space around it, that's not so hard, but what if it's in an area where many homes are surrounding the residence?

"The police can call the communications center, give them the message and, in turn, dispatchers can alert all the residents to either go in their basements and take cover if the suspect might shoot out a window, or give them whatever specific instructions the police wish to dispatch," Stigler explained.

Another advantage of the system is if you register with your cell phone number, you will receive an alert if something is going on near your home.

"I'm someone who has kids at home during the summer. I would like to know if a tornado or something else is headed their way," Stigler said.

How to register

Waukesha County residents are encouraged to register for this service. To register, go to https://mystateu sa.com/alertSignup.aspx?re gion=21804, and fill in your basic information. Next, select which alerts you would like to receive. Local emergency messages - civil danger, evacuate immediately, hazardous materials, etc., and tornado watch and warning are automatically included. You can also choose to receive alerts about things such as fires, air quality, flash floods or severe thunderstorms.

Next, choose where you would like to receive the message. They can be sent to your cell phone, Blackberry, e-mail, pager or second cell phone and your home phone.

"It's very important that we have the cell phone option up there, as so many people are now using that as their primary contact number," said Klimetz. She also wanted to make it clear that this is a secure, confidential system. None of the information submitted will be used for anything else.

"And if you decide you don't want to receive thunderstorm warnings anymore, you can go back and make changes," or you can add things that you had not originally selected, Klimetz explained.

If you do choose to receive texts, normal charges apply through your provider's plan, except for weather alerts, which are free of charge.

How it helps

Beyond its immediate dispatch, the emergency alert system could prove to be more reliable and work better than traditional systems. Klimetz pointed out that if you are sleeping and a tornado comes through your neighborhood in the middle of the night, you might not know. But if your cell phone rings, that will likely wake you in time.

The system is also used internally, Stigler said, to alert SWAT and fire departments that might be waiting for mutual aid information. Through the system, once you are alerted of a situation, once all is clear, you will be sent an updated message of the resolved situation.

The list goes on and on for how the system can help. During the recent swine flu outbreak, registered users were sent updates on cases in the area and school closings.

"If there's an Amber Alert or a sexual predator alert, we can get the message out instantly to help stop the situation quickly," Klimetz explained.

"There may be a point in time where we need to call the whole county," Stigler said. "There are no boundaries with this system; we can all help each other."

How to register

Waukesha County Communications encourages all county residents in Waukesha County to register with this system to receive emergency alerts. You can be notified by phone, e-mail or both.

To register, go to https://mystateusa.com/alertSignup.aspx?region=21804 or go to the City of Waukesha Web site and click emergency alert signup.

The information you submit is secure and confidential and will not be used for any other service. If you would like to modify your information after you've registered, simply log on and make your changes.