LIHU‘E — In an effort to improve emergency communications, county officials on Tuesday announced plans to implement Connect-CTY, a mass notification service from Blackboard Connect Inc. With Connect-CTY, county officials will be able to create and rapidly disseminate voice messages
LIHU‘E — In an effort to improve emergency communications, county officials on Tuesday announced plans to implement Connect-CTY, a mass notification service from Blackboard Connect Inc.
With Connect-CTY, county officials will be able to create and rapidly disseminate voice messages regarding civil defense emergencies to thousands of residents, businesses and local agencies in minutes, through a single phone call, a county news release states.
This service will also allow officials to send text messages to cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants, e-mail accounts, and TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired.
Examples of civil defense emergencies include: tsunamis; hurricanes; earthquakes; flash floods; and any other situation that could impact the safety, property, or welfare of Kaua‘i residents.
“We are constantly looking at ways to enhance communications with our residents,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “Connect CTY will enable us to reach out and quickly inform residents about emergency situations to help prevent injuries and the spread of misinformation, as well as streamline recovery efforts.”
The mayor noted that registration for this free service is being accepted on the home page of the county Web site at www.kauai.gov.
Publicly available primary residential and business phones on Kaua‘i will automatically be included in the system.
However, residents can opt in to provide their complete information, up to three phone numbers and two e-mail addresses, and indicate if they have a TTY/TDD device.
Those without Internet access can have their information added to the county database by calling 241-1800.
“I strongly urge residents to register their contact information in the secure Connect-CTY service database so they can be ready to receive important information at any given time,” said the mayor.
A community-wide test call will be conducted at 11:45 a.m., May 1, to ensure that residents are aware of the Connect-CTY service offered by the county and can provide their correct phone numbers and e-mail addresses should they not receive the text message.
For more information about Connect-CTY, contact Blackboard Connect Inc. at 818-808-7189 or visit www.blackboardconnectcty.com
