FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2007

SAN DIEGO – Board of Supervisors’ Chairman Ron Roberts today announced that the County of San Diego will soon put in place a new Emergency Mass Notification System that has the ability to reach significantly more people in a shorter period of time compared to the County’s existing system.

The County’s existing system can place approximately 11,000 calls per hour, and those calls are limited only to landlines.  The new system, produced by Columbus, Ohio-based Twenty First Century Communications, will enable the County to place 400,000 calls per hour, and not just to landlines, but to cell phones as well.  Also, unlike the current system, the new system will be capable of sending out mass e-mail and text messages.

“Whether it’s a wildfire, an earthquake, the bird flu, or locating missing children or those with Alzheimer’s, getting information to the public quickly is vital to the protection of you and your family,” said Roberts. “Not only is this system dramatically better than the current one, it’s less expensive.”

The start-up cost for the new system is about $100,000.  The annual usage cost, including call minutes, will be an additional $100,000.

The new system is Internet based and will provide for quick and easy access by other entities.  Cities and agencies within the region can “opt-in” to the system at no charge.

Pending formal approval by the Board of Supervisors on July 24th, the new system is expected to be operational by September.