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Westchester County Extending Its Communications Reach to the
Public
White Plains, NY – In
late 2005, Westchester County officials introduced an
initiative to better reach citizens in the event of an
emergency. Communications capabilities have now been
expanded to alert area residents of any large-scale,
critical situation by email, text and phone.
Westchester County officials have long understood the
importance of fast, accurate communications in a crisis. In
1999, they looked to Dialogic Communications Corp. (DCC) for
emergency notification technology and, in 2004, upgraded
their solution to stay abreast of technology advancements.
Using Dialogic’s Communicator! NXT, Westchester County can
get in touch with first responders, local officials,
volunteers and the like using all available communications
devices. In order to have this same reach with the general
public, should a major emergency occur, the County has
launched a web page,
http://www.westchestergov.com/cens/, to
collect various contact information.
Once at Westchester County’s site, residents, businesses and
not-for-profit agencies will find their own link for
registration. Here they can submit cell, work and home phone
numbers as well as email addresses, all of which will remain
confidential. The data is then downloaded by County
officials and imported into Communicator! NXT.
Andy Spano, County Executive, explains, “If people give us
their email addresses and phone numbers, we will have a
number of options when it comes to getting information out.
We will also be able to communicate directly just as we now
do with our emergency responders, local officials and the
media.”
Should time permit, the Department of Emergency Services
will now be able to send direct notice to the public about
pending inclement weather, including blizzards and other
major storms. Information can also be provided immediately
following the emergency regarding issues such as road or
health hazards, supplies, re-entry to damaged areas and
more.
About Westchester County
Westchester County covers an area of 450 square miles and
has a diverse population residing in 45 municipalities. Its
geographical setting is a favorable one, with the Long
Island Sound and Connecticut on the east and the Hudson
River on the west. As one of the nation's most affluent
counties with per capita income well above state and
national levels, it has retained much of its rural character
while adopting the urban and suburban lifestyles reflected
by its proximity to New York City. For more information,
visit
www.westchestergov.com.
About Dialogic
Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC), a PlantCML
company, is the global leader in emergency notification
technology. The company’s on-site and hosted solutions are
used by hundreds of public and private organizations
everyday, ensuring their communications readiness for
virtually any critical or routine situation. Dialogic was
established in 1982, and is located in Franklin, TN (a
suburb of Nashville). To learn more about the company’s
complete notification solution, call 800.723.3207 or visit
www.dccusa.com.
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