To

inform local residents of an emergency situation

occurring nearby, Fayette County emergency

officials need only to make one phone call.

computer does the rest of the work, dialing up to

2,100 telephones in less than 10 minutes. A

pre-recorded message is played at each residence

to notify the public of the situation and how

long it is expected to last.

The

Fayette County Emergency Notification System can

be used in the event of a hazardous materials

spill, a train derailment or any similar

emergency, said Capt. Pete Nelms, emergency

management coordinator for Fayette County. It

will not be used to alert residents of severe

weather unless an emergency shelter is opened and

the public must be notified of its location when

severe weather strikes, Nelms added.

The

system can notify residents on a particular

street, in a specific subdivision, or within a

certain radius of an emergency scene, Nelms said.

The

emergency phone notification system can help send

evacuation notices if necessary, he added.

"It's

important to give accurate, quick information to

the public," Nelms said. The system has

another plus: residents don't have to buy any

equipment to receive the emergency message.

Though

the system has been in place for under a month,

it has already been used once. During a natural

gas main rupture on Ga. Highway 54, residents in

The Landings subdivision were notified when the

situation began.

The

message warned the residents not to drive their

cars in the area, but another round of calls was

made when the situation was cleared up and the

road was finally re-opened to traffic.

Nelms

said residents of The Landings praised the use of

the phone notification system.

The

system also helps free up operators in the 911

center, who usually field calls from residents

wanting to know if they are in danger when

certain types of emergencies occur.

"It

cut down on the phone calls, and that's a plus

when you're real busy," Nelms said.

It

is believed that Fayette County is the first

county in Georgia to begin using such a phone

system. The Fayette County Resource Council and

Local Emergency Planning Committee have footed

the entire bill for the $10,670 system.

"Funding

for the system was provided completely by

Resource Council/LEPC member company donations

and sponsorships from Fayette County businesses,

with no taxpayer money being used," Nelms

said.

The

system is available 24 hours a day. It is

maintained by First Call Network Inc. in Baton

Rouge, La.

Among

the member businesses that contributed were

Photocircuits, Georgia Pacific Resins, Peachtree

City Water and Sewer, Triumph Motorcycles of

America, NCR Corporation, Lawson Mardon Atlanta,

Avery Dennison-Fasson and TDK Electronics.

The

Fayette County Resource Council and Local

Emergency Planning Committee is a voluntary

partnership between local businesses, government

agencies and private citizens. The group's

mission is to develop local emergency response

plans, provide training and education and

coordinate shared emergency response resources

among its members.

The

group has supported the Fayette County Hazardous

Materials Response Team with equipment, training

and technology through donations and private

funding at no cost to taxpayers.

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