Dec. 20 — Puyallup uses new tools to respond to emergencies

Chris Albert / of the Herald

The city of Puyallup is making emergency response more effective by using new technology like text messaging and a reverse 911 directory that can pinpoint any location globally.

At the end of November, the city instituted an emergency response phone system for non-life threatening emergencies, like flooding in a neighborhood.

When calling the number, 253-770-3336, residents are directed to a prerecorded voice message that prompts them to leave vital information. The message is recorded and converted into a text message. It then is sent to the city emergency management director Merle Frank. He then determines what the appropriate response is and what departments to designate certain calls to.

“What the city council wants to do is communicate more effectively with the public,” Frank said. “It’s especially important in emergency and crisis situations that those systems are in place.”

It is still important to call 911 when it is a life threatening situation, he said.

But the text system allows for the other emergency situations to be dealt with more effectively. Calls are directed to multiple lines to allow for multiple calls and responses.

“What I do is take a look at that and make a decision about how to route it,” Frank said.

If a resident suddenly has to deal with flooding, a tree falls on a power line or they are in need of emergency shelter and don’t know what to do or how to get help, they can call the number and their emergency will be immediately evaluated and responded to.

Fast response is what people are interested when they need help, Frank said.

“If they are trying to get something fixed they need to get to the people who can help,” he said.

The goals is to most effectively respond to emergencies and times of crisis, Frank said.

It also allows emergency management to process more calls quickly and keep accurate records. Not only is a text message immediately sent out, but the voice mail is recorded, so there are back ups if there is any confusion with the text message.

The cost of the system for Freedom Voice is fairly inexpensive, said Glenda Carino, city communications director. After a $15 activation fee, the service costs the city about $50 a month, she said.

During city-wide emergencies, the system is directed to the Emergency Operation Center, but that center is not open all the time, Carino said.

“But people still need to get a hold of city staff to help them in those situations,” she said.

The new system is the best way to streamline that connection, Carino said.

If a massive amount of calls are going into the system, it can also be a great way to decide if on-going emergencies warrant opening the Emergency Operations Center.

To add to effective emergency response, the city is also going to make use of a reverse 911 system from Global Connect.

A voice message would be able to be sent out to all the phones, including cell phones, in a designated area to alert people of an emergency situation, like a lahar.

“I can do it (send a message) from any location,” Frank said.

All he needs is his cell phone or laptop. Previously, the city used Pierce County’s reverse 911, which did not include cell phones.

During the last lahar warning siren test, the city received calls from residents who thought it was real, Carino said. By using the Global Connect system they can alert people prior to the drill. The drills take place on the first Tuesday in October and the first Tuesday in May, Frank said.

At 4 p.m. Jan. 14, the city will run a test of the system sending a reverse 911 message to a designated area, he said.

The city invites the public to respond to the test by either calling the text message number or clicking on a resident response that will be on the city Web site, Carino said.

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Text response

To contact the city about a non-life threatening emergency call 253-770-3336.