I Couldn’t Believe It
During the afternoon of July 7 I was working at home. At 1:49 p.m. the phone rang. It was a recorded message from the County Sheriff’s Department urging residents to stay in their homes. A man carrying a gun had been spotted nearby. At 3:01 p.m. the phone rang again. It was another recorded message from the County Sheriff’s department saying that an all clear had been issued. It was safe to go out again.
There was a news article that day indicating that a man with a gun had been spotted at a water park near where I live. The water park had been evacuated. The Community Center next to it had been locked down. In the article it was reported that all of this happened around 2 p.m.
I live about one mile from this water park and Community Center. I would assume that all of the homes in a one mile radius received the same two messages from the sheriff’s department.
Just Think About What Was
Necessary For That to Happen
Three steps took place.
- First – the police in the city in which I live had to contact the sheriff’s department and alert them to what was happening. A man carrying a gun had been spotted. They wanted to alert all of the people living in the area to stay in their homes and not answer the door to strangers who approached them.
- Second – the sheriff’s department had to develop a short broadcast message to send out to all of the homeowners in the area.
- Third – The sheriff’s department had to get in touch with the phone company and the phone company had to send the broadcast message out to all of the phones in the area.
The amazing thing was how quickly all of this happened. All of the people in the area around the community center and water park were alerted within minutes that a man with a gun had been sighted nearby.
Amazing Technology and Never Publicized
I was never aware that the phone company had the technology to be able to broadcast a message to all of the phones in a given area. I also did not realize that they could do it that quickly.
It makes me feel much safer knowing that this technology exists and that there is such rapid communication between the police and the phone company. Think about it – when there is a threat of crime in my area, I and my neighbors will be notified quickly.
There are many things about technology I do not like. This is one that I am truly grateful exists.
While I hope that you do not experience any threats to your safety where you live, I hope that this same technology is in place to alert and protect you.
Have a great day.
Bob Paroski
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