Smartly Investing to Improve South Milwaukee’s Emergency Communications Efforts

As you know, I made improving the way the city communicates with its residents a key campaign issue. I said, and continue to say, that we must find new and creative ways to keep citizens informed.

That’s why I am proud to support the city’s purchase of a new phone-based emergency alert system.

The City Council at our meeting Tuesday voted 7-0 to purchase a system that gives city officials the ability to call all city residents — or large numbers of them — at once to share a message in times of emergency.

The uses are easy to see. In fact, the system would have likely been used during two emergencies in the past 10 months alone: the February water main break and the July flooding. During those two emergencies, we found it difficult to communicate broadly with residents and let them know key information, from whether or not the water was safe to drink to details on the extent of the flooding and next steps.

This system, the same used by Milwaukee County and Oak Creek, will solve that problem and give us another tool in our communications toolbox.

It’s also cost effective. Cost will range from $7,000 to $8,000 up front — to be funded with leftover public health emergency response grant funds. Annual upkeep is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000, based on the purchase of additional “call blocks” from the provider.

The system will likely be available in the first quarter of 2011.

Land lines will be automatically populated into the system. You will also have the ability to add your cell number. I will keep you posted on when and how to do that.

In the meantime, let me know what you think about the deal. Post your comments below.