Emergency Notification System
Introduction
The Platte County / Boone County Emergency Notification System (ENS) is a joint project of public safety officials from both Platte County and Boone County, Nebraska. The ENS system is technically a Geographic Information System (GIS), a sort of "thinking map". This map contains geographically aware information about telephones. Each telephone number is tied to a location on the map. Emergency service agencies are now able to select a location on the map (including the telephone numbers in that location). With this selection of telephone numbers officials can mass call this geographic location and those who reside in that location.
Being able to contact people within a geographic area has always been a goal for emergency responders.
What Good Does This Do?
The uses of this type of system are limitless. For instance, if a small child left their home on foot, going to a friend's house. This child has been gone for about twenty minutes but doesn't arrive at their destination. A circle could be drawn within the map approximating the distance that the child would have traveled in the twenty minute period. Residents within that area could then be called with a description of the child and contact instructions if the child is found.
Another use of this system could be to notify residents regarding a hazardous materials spill. Based on wind speeds and directions as well as properties of the chemical, an area can be selected for notification and instructions given to the residents within that area.
Limitations
The initial telephone numbers and locations provided to us consist only of land line based phones. Information regarding other types of phones like Voice Over Internet Protocol telephones and Cellular telephones is not provided to us. Residents of either Platte County or Boone County, Nebraska who have phones other than land line will have to manually register with our service by completing a short form. Once this form is submitted to us, we will call you to verify the information that you provided. We will not release your information to others.