Douglas implements reverse 911 notification system

With the increased use of cell phones and other alternatives to traditional land lines, emergency services personnel are looking for new ways to connect with residents.

One new way is to register information with Douglas County Emergency Services for the reverse 911 notification system.

The addition of a self-registration portal provides emergency services with a way to gather contact information from the community at-large, improving communications during all types of situations, said Ron Sagen, 911 manager.

"The SRP is a simple-to-access Web tool that allows residents of Douglas and Alpine counties to sign up to receive alerts issued by Douglas County 911 Emergency Services," Sagen said.

Go to: www.douglascountynv.gov and click the "911" link on the left column of the page, then the "On the Alert" link that connects you to the self-registration portal, read the terms and conditions and follow the instructions for registration.

Through Bing maps, the latitude and longitude of the resident's address are calculated, with the location appearing on a digital, street-level display.

If the position is wrong, move a pin to correct it. Participants may also update their personal contact information and physical address as necessary to keep the data current.

"This information is seamlessly geo-coded into the address database utilized by the reverse 911 emergency notification system on a scheduled basis." Sagen said. "Do not register your traditional 'landline' telephone as that number is already in the database."

Residents may register up to three cell phones or voice-over Internet protocol phones per address. The opt-out can be changed at any time by logging into your account.

For more information, contact 911 Manager Ron Sagen at 782-9977 or Operations Supervisor Maggie Jensen at 782-9978.