If the city decides to buck up $100,000 for a reverse 911 system – which would call out safety instructions to residents in case of emergency - London would become only the second major city in Ontario to adopt the system.
The calls could go out for anything from a natural disaster, such as the flash flood that swamped Toronto, to a boil water alert to a terrorist attack.
A pre-recorded message would provide information about an emergency and have instructions on how to keep you safe.
But the system would only phone land lines. Cell phones wouldn't receive the call unless the owner filled out a form adding their number to the 911 registry. Other cities have had limited success with opt-in clauses, often collecting fewer than 30 per cent of the phone numbers.
“The requirement would be on people to register with their cell phone because people are going to get further and further from home phones,” says Councillor Denise Brown, chair of the Community and Potective Services Committee.
Proponents of the system say it would compliment other existing forms of emergency communication including TV, radio and Twitter.
“It allows us to ensure that the public is receiving information as quickly as possible when an emergency situation is either pending or happening at the time,” says Dave O’Brien, the city’s emergency management division head.
He says once the system in implemented, it would cost between $40,000 and $50,000 annually to operate.
“From our perspective that's a fairly low dollar commitment.”
City hall will consider next week if it should purchase the system.
