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Zach Colick
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| Joined: | Mon Jan 15th, 2007 |
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Posted: Tue Jun 2nd, 2009 06:29 pm |
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Editor's note: The following story appears in the June 4 Town of Paradise Valley Independent. Post comments by hitting reply in the upper right-hand corner. Comments will be posted in an upcoming issue of the Town of Paradise Valley Independent.
Town will update tech resources
Officials: Reverse 911 phone system works sufficiently
By Zach Colick
Independent Newspapers
Staying in touch and keeping up with the news is easier now than ever, thanks to ever-advancing technology as a worldwide benefit.
And residents wanting to get more up to speed on town-wide emergenicies and involved with various town affairs may soon find new solutions.
The Town Council discussed ways May 28 how best to inform residents of not only emergency situations through an enhanced reverse 911 call system, but also informational items by updating the town’s Web site to keep the community informed on news affecting them firsthand.
Arizona American Water Co. customers remember the private utlity’s January 2008 contamination incident fondly. Some received reverse 911 phone calls, alerting them not to drink their tap water or use it by any means for a 72-hour period.
More than 40 percent of Arizona American customers, however, never received such calls — one informing them of the contamination incident one day and another approximately three days later telling them it was OK to start drinking from their tap water.
Last week, Councilwoman Jini Simpson, who is an Arizona American customer, vehemently attacked both Arizona American’s and the town’s current reverse 911 call systems, calling both outrageously inefficient.
Despite both systems reaching a majority of residents, she said they are useless if others never receive a call about an emergency situation.
After hearing proposals last week about potentially changing to a different town reverse 911 call system, plans call for town officials to stick with its current modus operandi that can reach 137-plus residents per minute.
The program, which is used for emergencies only through a strictly-controlled 911 database, is funded through 2012, with no cost to the town or residents, said Carl Hollish, the town’s information technology manager.
While the town’s reverse 911 call system cannot leave messages on residents’ answering machines, town officials and council members supported sticking with the current system as it reaches the most residents during any given period.
The call system can only reach phone lines connected to a home, regardless if they are unlisted. No cell phones are called unless residents choose an opt-in option that would add such numbers to the database.
Arizona American’s system, like many other utility companies, uses a smaller commercial database that has a smaller penetration rate.
Proposals on the table last week to change the town’s reverse 911 call system included:
• A town-owned system, which would require an up-front software purchase, with recurring maintenance costs for the town, as well as eventual hardware replacements.
The $34,500 system, however, would only reach a maximum 16 residents per minute through phone calls, fax lines, cell phones, e-mail and text messages. System costs are only for year one and don’t include start-up costs.
• A hosted system, requiring vendor maintenance software. The town would subscribe to the $11,200 service annually and purchase a specified “minutes package” that could reach a maximum 24 residents per minute through phone calls, fax lines, cell phones, e-mail and text messages. System costs are only for year one and don’t include start-up costs.
Had the town chose to go either route, residents would have had to opt-in to the service, making any phone number used — a land line or cell phone — a public record, according to Town Attorney Andrew Miller.
Councilwoman Mary Hamway and other council members said they had concerns about that as many Paradise Valley residents keep their phone numbers unlisted for a reason.
Besides contacting residents during emergency situations, town officials are looking for ways to better inform residents of Town Council and Planning Commission meetings, as well as various town-held events.
Mr. Hollish also discussed a new alternative called Nixle, which is designed specifically for local governments to spread the word about various town affairs.
The Nixle system is a secured messaging service that residents can receive through e-mail based on their preferences through various subscription lists. There is no advertising associated with the program and the town would not incur any costs.
Town officials also hope to update the town’s Web site — http://www.ci.paradise-valley.az.us — to make it more user-friendly.
It is unclear whether the town will hire an outside third party to change the Web site’s look or use its current team of professionals for enhancement purposes.
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