By BERNADETTE GIACOMAZZO
There will be a citywide activation test on Wednesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. The test calls will state, This is a test of the City of Long Beach SWIFT911 emergency notification system. The Caller ID will appear as 431-1000.
Residents must sign up for the service, either by visiting the city-s Web site, www.longbeachny.org, or calling City Hall at (516) 431-1000. Those who wish to be notified on a number other than their home phone number are asked to log onto the city-s Web site and follow the links listed. If at any time a resident wishes to change, add or delete a phone number, they can do so by calling the city. There are no fees for registration or for any calls made by the SWIFT911 system. Residents are strongly advised to sign up for the service before next week-s activation test.
SWIFT911 is capable of delivering recorded warnings via telephone, e-mail, text or pager. Calls will be transmitted through the Long Beach Police Department, and the system can dial up to four phone numbers, including TTY phones, to reach a single resident. The system also offers a Do Not Call component for those who do not wish to receive alerts.
In August 2007, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi installed the SWIFT911 network throughout the county. Glen Cove and Long Beach are the only two municipalities in Nassau County to fully implement the system, though it is currently in use in other cities across the country, including Needham, Mass., and Hollywood, Fla.
Suozzi implemented the system in an effort to centralize Nassau County-s emergency response system, as well as to save money for participating towns. At a press conference last August, Suozzi accompanied by James Callahan, commissioner of the Office of Emergency Service projected that the system would cost the county $120,000 per year. However, local governments can utilize it at a cost of $4,200 annually, far less than the $20,000 it would cost for their own systems, Suozzi said.
There are many ways we will be able to utilize the SWIFT911 system, said Theofan. It will be an effective tool in notifying residents with emergency storm and evacuation information, but we can also target calls to specific areas of the city that might be directly affected by a gas or water main break or a fire. The system will also aid police in alerting residents in the event of a child abduction or other crime-related emergency.
SWIFT911 works around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said City Council President Thomas R. Sofield Jr. Everyone who lives and works in the City of Long Beach can feel a little safer knowing that we have implemented a system that can be utilized to help save lives and property from potentially dangerous situations. I encourage you to register for SWIFT911.
Comments about this story? BGiacomazzo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 240.
