BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BURLINGTON - Boone County will become the first county statewide to use a telephone system that can warn up to 6,000 residents within one hour of emergencies.
The Boone County Fiscal Court voted unanimously Tuesday to contract with Community Alert Network Inc. (CAN) of New York to operate the warning system for $11,700 annually.
CAN provides service to more than 400 communities and facilities in the United States and Canada. Its system allows officials to notify residents in specific areas about emergency situations through automated telephone calls.
"I think it's a great way to supplement the warning siren system that we have today, " County Administrator Jim Collins said.
"And it allows us to take notifying residents of a potential problem to the next level. We can actually earmark quadrants of the county, and this service will make phone calls right to those quadrants.
Among the emergencies the warning system could be used for are hazardous materials spills, severe weather warnings, fires and public health incidents.
Mr. Collins said the county thinks some members in the business community will contribute financially to the warning system.
