Emergency Management officials are working with local water districts so that future boil water notices can be announced through the county’s Wireless Emergency Notification System.
The system, which has been in effect for about a year, allows emergency notices to be made by phone to every home in the county or just to certain sections of the county depending on the type and location of an emergency. The system is designed for evacuation and re-entry notifications, Amber Alerts, road closure notifications and severe weather warnings and now officials would like to add boil water notices to the list.
Water districts issue boil water notices if there is a fear of bacteria in the drinking water.
The notices generally last a few days while the water is tested.
The notices are currently announced over the radio, but the telephone system would allow the announcements to focus more closely on the affected customers.
Its not a perfect solution – the Wireless Emergency Notification System still can’t be narrowed down to call only affected customers, but county commissioners said the notices can be worded in such a way that people who are not under the boil water notice will know to ignore the warning.
There is also the issue that the system only calls land lines automatically, and many people no longer have home phones.
People with cell phones or who want the messages by e-mail have to request to be added to the system.
Its easy to do – just go on-line to www.franklinsheriff.com and following the Franklin County Emergency Notification link or call the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 850-670-4829.
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