When danger looms

The city of La Cañada Flintridge is pushing to expand the telephone database for its emergency notification system, Alert LCF, to include cellular phone and workplace telephone numbers, public safety coordinator Peter Castro said Wednesday.

Alert LCF is deployed to deliver emergency messages when there is a threat to the health and safety of residents in the city. The telephone number registration effort comes in the wake of the Station fire, during which thousands of La Cañada residents were notified by the system, also known as the reverse 911 system, to evacuate their homes.

“It was very successful,” Castro said of the system’s performance during the fire. “We used it for all the evacuations in our city. From the feedback we have been getting from the residents, it seems to work great. They got the message.”

Reverse 911 systems, viewed as a fast and effective way to reach large numbers of people, are used by cities and counties throughout the country. They are considered critical in parts of California prone to earthquakes and wildfires. In June, the County of Los Angeles launched its own $1.9-million emergency notification system, which was also used during the Station fire. While the La Cañada system ran smoothly, however, the county system experienced glitches, including misdirecting hundreds of La Crescenta residents to evacuate.

La Cañada contracts with Twenty First Century Communications to manage and operate its system, Castro said, paying an $8,750 annual fee. The database already includes telephone numbers for every residential and commercial land line in the area. Now, officials are encouraging La Cañadans to register alternative phone numbers, including cellular phone and workplace numbers, through the city’s website.

“What we have is just the land lines of every business and residence in the city,” Castro said. “But if people want to add their work numbers and cell phone numbers, we can do that through our website.”

Previously, when Alert LCF dialed a number and no one answered the phone, the system would leave an automated message and call back after a set amount of time, Castro explained. If an alternative number is provided, however, the system can dial the second number and reach a resident who might be away from their home.

In addition, with new multi-modal communication capabilities, Alert LCF can send notifications to landlines, cellular and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), as well as TTY/TDD machines, PDAs, smartphones, text devices and e-mails.

“The city of La Cañada Flintridge is committed to providing efficient and accurate information to our community,” Mayor Laura Olhass said in a prepared statement issued this week. “We firmly believe that Alert LCF will enhance our communications efforts, and ultimately help us protect the safety and well-being of our residents.”

With meteorologists predicting heavy rains this winter, and with county engineers and firefighters warning about hillside erosion, Alert LCF could be put to use within the coming months to warn residents about the threat of mudslides, Castro said.