BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

INDEPENDENCE — County commissioners on Monday heard a proposal from Mark McCleary, rural fire coordinator, and Jim Miller, emergency preparedness director, to consider implementing some type of an automated telephone service that would notify rural residents about severe weather alerts.

The service would be similar to the automated telephone systems now used by area school districts to notify parents of school cancellations or parent-teacher conferences. It also is a system similar to the Nixle message system — which sends messages via e-mail — that some area police agencies use to notify residents of law enforcement situations.

However, the price tag for such a system is high — as much as $30,000, Miller said, depending on the extent of messaging.

McCleary said the messaging system — regardless if by telephone, cell phone or email — would be used in lieu of purchasing new tornado sirens for rural areas of Montgomery County. The messaging system could have a further accessibility (as compared to a tornado siren) because most people carry cellular telephones or use regular land-line phones in their homes.

“The technology is getting where we can do this ourselves,” said Miller. “I know it won’t be done tonight or tomorrow, but I think with the advent of the GIS (Geographical Information System) and the amount of data we’re inputting into our system that we can develop a system whereby we can notify residents of approaching severe weather.”

Commissioner Leon Rau questioned if a countywide messaging system would work because of what Rau described as “fragmented” emergency services throughout Montgomery County.

“Can we work toward a universal goal instead of everyone aiming toward their own thing,” Rau asked.

Both McCleary and Miller said that a countywide messaging or alert system would take ample education on the part of emergency services and local citizens.

More details about the Montgomery County Commission meeting are printed in the July 21 edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle. To subscribe, call (620) 336-2100 or (620) 879-2156.