Reverse 911 System Could Save Lives

BELLAIRE, Texas -- Calling 911 in emergencies is almost second nature these days. But soon, 911 may be calling you as part of an early-warning service.

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The prerecorded message would alert residents to all types of disasters and emergencies, including gas leaks, floods or bioterrorism.

It may sound like science fiction, but it will soon be reality.

The Greater Harris County 911 Emergency Service Network is linking approximately 150 police, fire, and EMS departments across Harris and Fort Bend counties.

"What we learned after Sept. 11 is that anything can happen anywhere at anytime. The notification warning is a major aspect of controlling situations such as that," said Chief Byron Holloway, with the Bellaire Police Department.

Each call costs the city 15 cents. The Command Center can pinpoint specific areas that need to be notified of the emergency.

"The system simultaneously makes 1,152 telephone calls. So basically, with that 30 second message, in a minute, we can be notifying over 2,000 homes at a time," Holloway said.

Residents said they're looking forward to the advanced technology.

"With the old system, lines would be jammed. When an emergency happened, people would call in to find out what was going on and they would not be able to find out anything. So with the new system, if the police department would call, that would free up the lines and keep people at ease and make things run a lot smoother," said Kathy Higgins, a resident.

The 911 notification system should be up and running by the fall. Until then, officers will educate the public about the system. They want to let people know that it's a legitimate service and could save lives.

This story was made possible by News2Houston's local newspaper partnership with the Village News.