Community Emergency Notification System being tested

The Cook County Sheriff’s office has contracted with Global Connect, a national voice messaging service, to provide a Community Emergency Notification System that may be used to directly notify residents in the event of a local emergency.

The Emergency Notification System is an automated system that calls homes and businesses to deliver alert messages during serious emergencies such as  evacuations, wildfires, or missing persons, to name a few.

 

In addition to providing basic alert information, the automated message may also direct the listener to take specific actions during an emergency.  The system allows the sheriff’s office to quickly distribute important notifications to the right people during an emergency alert or event.

According to Sheriff Mark Falk, all of the county’s residential and business “land lines” that are supplied by Qwest and CenturyLink are pre-entered into the system and there is no need to register a telephone line that is wired into your home or business.

 

Falk said, however, in order to register cellular phone numbers or internet phones, residents and businesses will need to go to the county website to add their information to the system.

Testing of the Emergency Notification System is currently underway and should be completed within the next two weeks. Telephone users may receive a call as part of the testing process. After testing is complete the system will go live and be available for use during any future emergency events.

 

Further information is available from the Cook County Sheriff's Office at 387-3030.