Sheriff upgrades reverse 911 alert system

By DAILY SOUND STAFF — March 12, 2010

Local residents can now register their phone numbers online in order to receive alerts from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department during emergencies, authorities announced.

Law enforcement officials have been using the patented “Reverse 911” system for five years to make automated alert calls to local residents with landline telephones throughout the county during wildfires and other serious incidents.

In 2007, the department made it possible for community members to register their cell phone numbers for use in the system. That move proved to be time-consuming as more than 15,000 residents signed up during the Gap fire in 2008.

Sheriff’s staff previously had to enter information for each registrant by hand, but with the recent upgrades, residents can create a password-protected account allowing them to enter and update their contact information.

“They will also be able to include their email address and request [text-based] messages for the hearing impaired,” sheriff’s officials said in a news release about the new service. “The sheriff’s Reverse 911 system now also features an interactive map for users to verify their location.”

Although authorities characterized the upgraded system as a valuable tool to issue public warnings, the sheriff’s department urged community members to monitor other alert systems such as television, radio, the Internet and other media.

To register for the Reverse 911 system, residents can visit www.sbsheriff.org and click on the corresponding link. Sheriff’s officials noted that personal information entered into the system will not be used for any other purpose other than emergency notification.

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