Cell numbers needed for emergency notification system

To sign up: Call (937) 521-2179

County officials are asking the public to link into a notification system that will allow emergency personnel to contact residents in a crisis situation.

The system, Wide Area Rapid Notification, or WARN, enables officials to notify the appropriate residents by phone in the event of an emergency situation, said Lisa D’Allesandris, director, Clark County Emergency Management Agency.

The operation has been in place for several years, however, the system has only recently obtained the capability to notify people by cell phone, she said.

“We want to urge people to call and sign up their cell phone numbers,” she said.

Cell phone numbers are critical to have because so many more people use them in lieu of their land lines, said D’Allesandris.

“Some people don’t even have land lines anymore,” she said.

The notifications would be sent in the event of an emergency situation such as a chemical spill, said D’Allesandris.

The system would allow officials to call all the residents in that area to notify them of the emergency, advise them to stay indoors or evacuate, she said.

Any information provided is kept confidential.

“We aren’t going to use the information for anything except emergency situations,” she said.