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Reverse 911 system unveiled
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More from Other NewsThe "Reverse 911" emergency system that covers most of Ventura County is in place and ready for fire season, but it includes only land lines, so county officials are asking residents to submit their cell phone numbers.
The Reverse 911 system was unveiled at a news conference Wednesday morning attended by three county supervisors and the leaders of police and fire agencies from all over the county. It covers the entire county except for the cities of Ventura, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, each of which have their own systems either in place or in progress.
The county system has a database of 636,000 home and business phone numbers, said Erin Edinger, a program administrator with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services.
In an emergency, a county, city, police or fire official can select a geographic area, record a message, and have it sent to every phone number in that area. Messages will be sent in English and Spanish.
"We can draw around an area as small as a city block, or around the whole county if we need to," Edinger said.
The system was tested last fall during the Ranch Fire in Piru, and it successfully delivered an evacuation message to 756 households.
To submit a cell phone or Voice Over Internet Protocol number, call 648-9283; send an e-mail to reverse911@ventura.org; or visit the www.ventura.org Web site and click on the "Disaster Information" link.
Posted by span on June 25, 2008 at 4:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How do they know where you are if you're out with your cell phone?
Posted by live_for_purpose on June 25, 2008 at 7:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Pog--A precious comment indeed!
Posted by chfsgrl on June 25, 2008 at 7:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If your out with your cell phone they ask you where you are. As long as you know a city and street..they can find you.
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