DALTON — Now that the county’s addressing project is completed, Whitfield County Emergency Services says it is ready to roll out its Reverse 911 system in earnest again.

To make sure that they contact as many residents as possible in case of an emergency, officials are asking local residents to provide their contact information to them.

“Because there have been a lot of changes with addresses over the past couple of years, we want more people to opt in and sign up to be on our Reverse 911 system,” said Jeffery Ownby, interim 911 director.

“And because a lot of people don’t have land-line phones anymore or their home phone number is unlisted,” added Claude Craig, Whitfield Emergency Management director.

Reverse 911 uses a database of addresses and phone numbers to contact residents who live close to the site of a chemical release. The more contact information, the better, Ownby said.

The system is not activated in all emergencies, including the anhydrous ammonia gas leak at the Reddy Ice plant at 426 S. Hamilton St. in downtown Dalton on Tuesday.

“I arrived about an hour into the incident and expected to use the system myself,” Ownby said, “but Dalton Fire Department and Dalton Police Department had done an excellent job of evacuation and containment so we didn’t have to use Reverse 911.”

While the system uses information already available through the phone company, land-line numbers may not always be the best way to get in touch with residents, Craig said.

“We really want people to opt in to the system and give us additional information,” Ownby said, including their cell phone numbers, fax machine numbers, e-mail addresses and, for the deaf, TDD numbers. “The more ways we have to get in touch with you, the more likely we are to reach you.”

Especially in the daytime, Craig said, when a lot of people are at work.

“Let’s say the system calls only your home phone and leaves a message that says, ‘Hey, there’s been a chemical release at XYZ Plant and due to weather conditions, we are advising you to shelter in place,’” he said.  “Well, if you ‘re on your way home, you’re not going to get that message. You’re going to drive right into the area. So that’s why we want more people to opt in to the system, so we can get the word to them by their cell phone or other means.”

Amy Cooley, administrative assistant for Emergency Services, said people who don’t live in Whitfield County but do work here are also eligible to sign up for Reverse 911 notifications.

For those residents who are worried about their privacy, Ownby stresses that the information will never be sold to other companies and will only be used for contact purposes by Reverse 911.

Since September is Emergency Preparedness Month, Emergency Services officials will be out in force over the coming weeks at many public events. One of their missions will be asking residents to fill out forms for the Reverse 911 system.

“And if you already opted in earlier, we would like you to do it again to make sure your information is still accurate,” Ownby said.

 Emergency officials have used the Reverse 911 system about 10 times for emergencies since installing it in late 2007, and they say it can be used in a variety of ways to notify the public about many things, including chemical releases, missing children or adults, road closings and even educational messages.

“We’re really excited now to be relaunching it because now we’ve got good map data, same as the 911 dispatchers use,” Ownby said.

“We will still be using radio and TV to get emergency messages out — this won’t take away from that, but we hope the Reverse 911 system will get people evacuated quicker or notified faster that they need to shelter in place, which basically means that we’ve determined that it is safer for them to stay where they are and just take certain precautions inside their homes.”

Ten facilities in Whitfield County have been identified as RMP sites, which means that because they house certain chemicals, they must submit Risk Management Plans to the state and county to help during an emergency.

“What that’s saying is that the EPA has determined that they have enough of ‘XYZ chemical’ that they need to file an RMP with the state and county,” Craig said. “We’ve already been working on this for Dow/Styron, but we’ll be doing it for the other nine facilities, too.”

That way, in the event of a release, emergency officials will be better prepared to handle the situation.

“People who live near these type companies need to be prepared,” Ownby said. “Of course, everybody needs to be prepared for an emergency. If you live near a road or a railroad, chances are you’re at risk — which is really everybody.”

 

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You can opt in to the Reverse 911 system in several ways. Visit the Whitfield County website at www.whitfieldcountyga.com/E911/reverse_911.htm or the city of Dalton website at http://cityofdalton-ga.gov/index.php?option=com_surveys&Itemid=379&act=view_survey&survey=Reverse+911+Form. You can also stop by the 911 Center at 804 Professional Blvd. to fill out a form, or you can call Amy Cooley at (706) 876-2517.

 

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Disaster supplies kit

A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items that could be needed in the event of a disaster.

Assemble the following items to create kits for use at home, the office, at school and/or in a vehicle:

• Water: three gallons for each person who would use the kit and an additional four gallons per person or pet for use if you are confined to your home.

• Food: a three-day supply in the kit and at least an additional four-day supply per person or pet for use at home. You may want to consider stocking a two-week supply of food and water in your home.

• Items for infants, including formula, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, powdered milk and medications not requiring refrigeration.

• Items for seniors, disabled persons or anyone with serious allergies, including special foods, denture items, extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, prescription and non-prescription medications that are regularly used, inhalers and other essential equipment.

• Kitchen accessories: a manual can opener; mess kits or disposable cups, plates and utensils; utility knife; sugar and salt; aluminum foil and plastic wrap; re-sealable plastic bags.

• A portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra, fresh batteries.

• Several flashlights and extra, fresh batteries.

• A first aid kit.

• One complete change of clothing and footwear for each person, including sturdy work shoes or boots, rain gear and other items adjusted for the season, such as hats and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses, dust masks.

• Blankets or a sleeping bag for each person.

• Sanitation and hygiene items: shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm, sunscreen, contact lenses and supplies, any medications regularly used, toilet paper, towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent, feminine supplies, plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses), medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid, disinfectant, household chlorine bleach.

• Other essential items: paper, pencil, needles, thread, small A-B-C-type fire extinguisher, medicine dropper, whistle, emergency preparedness manual.

• Entertainment, including games and books, favorite dolls and stuffed animals for small children.

• A map of the area marked with places you could go and their telephone numbers.

• An extra set of keys and IDs, including keys for cars and any properties owned and copies of driver’s licenses, passports and work identification badges.

• Cash and coins and copies of credit cards.

• Copies of medical prescriptions.

• Matches in a waterproof container.

• A small tent, compass and shovel.

Pack the items in easy-to-carry containers, label the containers clearly and store them where they would be easily accessible. Duffle bags, backpacks and covered trash receptacles are good candidates for containers. In a disaster situation, you may need access to your disaster supplies kit quickly, whether you are sheltering at home or evacuating. Following a disaster, having the right supplies can help your household endure home confinement or evacuation.

Make sure the needs of everyone who would use the kit are covered, including infants, seniors and pets. It’s good to involve whoever is going to use the kit, including children, in assembling it.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention