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Emergency Alert Systems
This section of our technical library presents articles written about Emergency Alert Systems and Disaster Recovery definitions, terms and related information.
The 911Broadcast emergency notification and alert service can deliver a large number of phone calls using a network of phone systems employing digital phone lines simultaneously. Should a disaster such as a snow storm, wild fire or flood hit your area, 911Broadcast systems can alert your community quickly providing specific instructions if an evacuation is required.
This service is available using our emergency broadcasting systems. If a dangerous chemical spill occurs in your community, you can target specific areas to call. If a severe snow storm hits your area, your community can be notified of school closings or event cancellations.
Calling 911 From Your Computer
Reprint: abclocal.go.com
Emergency facilities nationwide are spending billions of dollars bringing the 911 system to the 21st century. The idea is to assure your cell phone call will reach the correct emergency center and that emergency center will know exactly where you are. But just as we're making progress, along comes the new wave of communicating, internet phone calls. 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney reports on how safe you are when you call for help on your computer.
How safe are you? The short answer is pretty safe. Unlike the cell phone system which evolved without the assistance of emergency personnel, the internet phone system, known as VOIP (for Voice Over Internet Protocol), is working with county and state administrators to make sure you're emergency call gets through to the right people.
In Marin County, these are the right people. They're emergency dispatchers and they answer just about all 911 calls in the county. Most are from landlines or from cell phones. However, they're starting to get more calls from people dialing help from their computers.
The Marin Sheriff's Department communications expert, Bill McMurray, has some advice before signing up for an internet phone service.
Bill McMurray, Marin Dep. Sheriff: "Several of the major VOIP providers have on their web page a description of their 911 policy. If I was buying it, that would be one of the first things I would look for."
One of the biggest providers is Silicon Valley's Covad Communications.
Jeff Ahlquist, Covad Communications: "With VOIP, as mentioned before, it is a tethered line into a building. It is a physical location, a part of your installation with the end user, we easily know where they are."
And if your internet provider knows your location, then these emergency workers know your location. That's a lot different than cell phones where a call can come from anywhere making it difficult for these emergency workers to send help.
Ahlquist: "To us E911 is critical, is critical on the business side, it's critical on the consumer side, it is a fundamental part of our offering."
But Bill McMurray has an important warning. He cautions consumers not to give up their regular home phone after they sign up for internet phone service.
McMurray: "If you are using VOIP through your home-based or work-based PC, and if you lose power, you lose communication."
Traditional telephone systems have backup power supplies, so if the power goes out, the phone still works. That's not true with your internet based phone service unless you have a backup power supply at your home or office.
Most of the major internet phone service providers have a 911 software already in place. But, to make sure, always check with the company before signing up.
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