COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT. MADE BY: I'Cet~R- ~+MPX?~PNC~ Q - l - ( '~ e.'~w ~ t~ MEETING DATE: ~ 1 ('~~ ~'20 0~- OFFICE: TIME PREFERRED: SUBJECT: (PLEASE BE SPECIFIC t~zve~2s ~ c~ -1- I EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON) N i ~ NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: W [ Ll_ i ~~ ~ . ~ +M ~ Q-+t~~- ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE: Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows: Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday. THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY: THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON: All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards you request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners' Court. Kerr Fniergeacy `~, 19-=-i N~t~vork REVERSE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION How, in the event of a large scale emergency within our community, would we effectively alert our citizens and give them specific instructions on what to do to ensure their safety? Flooding and multi-thousand acre wildfires are all too common an occurrence for the residents in Ken County, Texas. In days past, emergency personnel had to go from door to door to let citizens know that they were in danger. Now however, there are better and mare efficient ways to notify thousands of our citizens within a very short time span which can deliver lifesaving instructions. ~~«~~~~ ^~ I ~s-s xetw-orlc _~;~ , ~c Basically there are two types of reverse emergency notification, contract for service or a .-- , purchased onsite system. With a purchased system, the community has more cormol. An in-house notification system is quite versatile and can be used in other applications where the community leaders might need to notify emergency personnel themselves of a potential hazard. However, the over all initial cost for purchasing this type of system and its software is rather hefty, and there is usually a yearly warranty fee for future repairs and upgrades. Contracting with an emergency broadcasting service requires less up front capital and can provide a faster emergency notification of the area citizenry if the provider has the resources available. Most systems require a yearly or monthly fee for the service plan plus specific costs when the number of notifications exceeds a specified number. COMPARISONS CONTRACT FOR SERVICE VENDORS CodeRED $5000.00 per year w/2 year contract at start ($10,000.00 initial contract fee) * 15,000 minutes per year *Additional minutes in increments of 10,000 @ $2,000.00 per increment. *60,000 calls per hour capability Message 911 Varying packages available. 25,000 annual calls @ approximately ..- $24,000 for set up & first years fee then $4,200 thereafter. 50,000 annual calls @ approximately $52,000 set up & frst years fee then 13,000 thereafter. *180,000 calls per hour capability *Additional minutes are .20 per emergency call and .10 per non-emergency call over the monthly allotted minutes in package purchased. ONSITE SYSTEMS Reverse 911 $35,000 fora 24 line system w/yearly maintenance fee. *Nine hundred sixty 30 second calls per hour capability *This system would be especially cost effective if there are expectations for multiple emergency notifications in any given year. '°' *There is a reoccurring maintenance fee per year. *There are reoccumng costs for each phone tine to this system. CONTRACT FOR SERVICE & ONSITE SYSTEMS DCC, The Communicator For population of 50,000, cost will be approximately $40,000 for licensing and installation. *Computer hardware can be purchased from outside vendor. *In the event that the local system can not send out a high number of phone calls, this company allows for contract for service as a back up notification system. ECN CODERED PRESS PACK (HIGH SPEED OUTBOUND NOTIFICATION) BY Enin~r~~ncy Corx~rr~unic~tion~ N ~twori~ "w"~'*~ ~'rn~tr~~-n~y ~~mr~u~r~i~~tit~n~ N ~twta-rK, Why ~odeRED"'? ~Qr~~~~~~r~~~~~ N ~#wt~r~ ` ~ ('v~r ; 1 ~~ ~, ° ~ ~+' ' ,f ~ ~ r~~r~~~~~ ~ ~ ; . N etwt~-r*I~c ~''~ ~ ' ~ ~ r ~ Instant Deuikd Description Uebikd Geographic Accessible Tndubk NotfRcrtion of Incident Instruttioro Warnings to All Reporting + rr Yes Yes Telerisfon Cf turned on) Of wined on) Yes No Yes No ~ 'r _ +'*' Ineffective at night Ineffective rt night . '~ Radio Yes Yes (if turned on) (if wined on) Yes No Yes No Ineffective at night IneffecWe rt night Sirens Yes No No No No No Mobile Loudspeakers No Yes Yes Yes No No Door to Door No Yes Yes Yes No Yes CodeRED" Yes Yes Yes Yes Yas Yes '~ CodeRED° - ,. .~ Revere 917"' fommunhy AMrt dalogk Network (CAN) Communkator Ability to Goofed Yes No No No 60,000 People (60,000 ells (2,880 calls (15,000 calls (70,000 ells in an Hour per hour) per hour) per hour) per hour) EquipmeMto No Purchase Yes No Yes Equipment to No Maintain Yes No Yes `~" = " Securely Launch yK ~ No No from Any Computer Unlimited Listing y~ No No Yes Capabilities ' 7 • Annual ~ Fee Yes Yes Yes , 24 Hour Yes ~ ~ Help Line No Yes Yes ~ ~ ~ You Pay for No Phone lines Yes No Yes Setup Fees No Yes Yes Yes ~~ } ~~~ Ct~rinr~ur~i~~#i~na~ 111 etwt~-r~l~ Emergency Communications Network CodeRED'M Frequently Asked Questions Q1) What distinguishes CodeRED'"from other telephone emergency notification services? A) CodeRED`" utilizes the patented RealCall® message delivery system. RealCall® technology is unique in it's ability to deliver pre-recorded messages to recipients, including their answering devices, IN FULL. In emergency situations, the ability to deliver the ENTIRE message containing pertinent information and instructions is critical. Another distinguishing feature of CodeRED'"is the ability to call up to 60,000 households per hour! CodeRED`"users have immediate access to ECN's bank of high-speed dialers. There's absolutely no equipment to buy and there are no annual fees. An additional feature that makes CodeRED'" unique is it's Internet interface. Through the Internet, CodeRED'"users can access the CodeRED'" system from virtually anywhere in the world. The CodeRED'" Internet portal allows users to create calling projects using proprietary mapping software, create and maintain client calling lists to be used independently or in addition to separate geographic selection criteria, and to access CodeRED'"calling campaign statistics and view the results of each call placed. Q2) What are the steps involved in launching a CodeRED'"calling campaign? A) There are 3 steps involved in launching a CodeRED'"calling campaign: 1) Define the calling list using the CodeRED'" Internet Mapping Tool. 2) Record your message using the CodeRED"' IVR. 3) Launch your calls. Q3) What is the "Always-Call List"? A) The CodeRED'"Always-Call List was developed to allow managers to monitor the use of their CodeRED`"system. As the name implies, individuals listed on the Always-Call list will receive a call EACH time a CodeRED`"calling campaign is launched through their system account. Q4) What are "Client Calling Lists"? A) Client Calling Lists allow authorized CodeRED"users to create and maintain lists of records (individual names and phone numbers) that may be utilized independently or in addition to geographically selected records. Common examples of Client Calling Lists include: police forces, emergency workers, and fire fighting staff. Client Calling Lists are created and maintained on the Client Calling Lists page of the CodeRED'" site. Q5) Can I create a job using both geographical criteria and Client Calling Lists? A) Yes, CodeRED`"allows users to select records to call using both the geographic mapping interface AND the Client Calling Lists. When selecting records from multiple sources, the CodeRED'"system removes any duplicate records by phone number prior to launching calls. Q6) How many call attempts does the CodeRED'"dialing system make for each telephone number? A) The CodeRED'"dialing system attempts each record up to 3 times in order to maximize the number of delivered messages. Q7) Are CodeRED'" messages only delivered to people who pick up the phone in-person? A) CodeRED'"delivers your recorded messages to a live person and to answering devices using patented RealCall® technology. Q8) How will I know when my calling project is completed? A) The CodeRED`"website allows users to monitor the progress of their calling campaign in real time. The statistics website is updated once per minute while the campaign is active. Q9) What if my computer is down or I don't have Internet access? A) If your computer is down or Internet access is unavailable, you can still execute a CodeRED'" calling campaign using an existing job number for apre-selected area/call recipient list. You can launch calls from any phone as long as you have the proper access codes and job number. We have 24/7/365 technical support available if you encounter a critical situation where you need to launch a CodeRED'" calling campaign without having an existing job number. mCBS MarketWdtch ot~MalJb BEACH, Ala., Oct 16, 2003 /pf~Ney~sWire via COMTEX! -- Ths Fiagler County Sheriff s office captured an "armed and dahgerr5usa t~glsteted sex offender last night after residents were notified he was suspected of being lit their iir3ighbonc~iod through the Sheriff s office's CodeRED emergency cortlmunications system. The Sheriffs Office made 5,000 calls to 1=lagler county residents Ina )ust a few rrtint~tes ijn tur~sday night, alerting them that Victor 1`yrone Sparf oW was on the loose in the area. Sparrow was Wahtbd for armed robbery with a firearm and possession of a ffrearm by a convicted felon. Sparrow knocked on the door at the home of residents who had received the Gede~t~b phone calls at g:b5 p.m, and 5:48 p.rrt. The ctyupia cailrjd the police, wha arrested Sparrow within minutds: "It's gratifying that CodeF2Eb is able td lie{p I~Vi- enforcement agencies keep communities safe," saki fob pot#, president of 1=Mergertcy ComtiiutliC~tlons Network (ECN). "the speed with which the system Works underscores what a great Investment CodeRED (s far the community." , ` ' Codef~Eb is a patented, real-lime Internet-based message delivery system from Emergency bommutilcatiotis Network (~cNj that cr~ti mike byar tt~,0o0 recorded phone calls per hour into a gaogrAphtc Brad based on the specifics of the fiituation. CodeREb was designed to provide Immediate access to timely Information, Including bolt Water alerts, weather emergencies, local criminal activity and homeland security isguds, Most recently, CodeF2Eb was called into service in several htld-Atlantic states to alert res{darns before and after Hurricane Isabel struck. The t=ort Lauderdale-based non-profit agengy A Child is Missing (ACIM) utitixes the CodeRED ~1rm~d end bangerou~ ~~x ~~f~~~~~ ~~ptured its i+iagler ~dunt~ through ~tti~i`~~rh~y ~ ~-""•~ t~,~'`" Cdi~ttnuniCatidni~ NetWOr~t'3'~bd~~~d~ Sy'Sterti ~Prtnt~r-frl.~ ~orii~2oo3 3:54:00 PM ~s caking system to help find missing children and seniors, and also issues sexual predator alerts. ACIM, which stands ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a Week, has received over 4,900 calls for assistance from law enforcement agencies across the country and has made over 2.9 million calls to residents. Hundreds of communities across the country utilize the CodeRED system, either as direct customers or ihrough their local IaW enforcement agencies' involvement wlih A Chid is Missing. , Flagler County has used the CodeRirD system for the past 9 months. "Sheriff Manfre gave us the chance to prove CodeRED in a critical situation --and it worked," said David DiGiacomo, executive director of ECN. "Communication is what keeps communities safe, and today Flagler ,,_. County residents are safer because of the CodeI~LD communication system. That's our goal." http://tvww.coderedweb.com Copyright (C) 2003 PR Newswire. Atl rights reserved. p~rtn~r 5itet3 C,gSNews.com ~ b~ S.com ~ ~,COM I ~iaCharts.com ~ 1997-2003 MBrlcetWatch.tom, Inc. Atl rights rtsewed.l?1SSaaitt~C, Kee our privacy ~aliev -updated 4/3/03. cgs end the cf35 "eye device" are tegisFErbd trademattCS 01 CBS Broadcasting, Tnc. Intraday data provided by ~gmstotk. a division al t~tet8ttive beta Corp. and sut~ject to i4rms of use. Nlstohcal and curtent a»d-of-dA~+ data pthvlded by F]' tnteractive bate. Inti-adgy data delayed iJ tt-lnutes tor• Ni3~ddq, and 2d minutes for other exchanges. SsNk It}traday data Is provided by Colr-atcsck and IS at last 6t1-Minutes delayed. Ait quotes ate In local exchange tithe. E--na~ thfs article ~ptl!$.~r-ftlendh- ~Creata Alert Kai a 7i ~-..-.. ~:T':.' 9'11 Emergency Notification Technology Powered By callingPast t~essage911 is an easy-to-use voice notification system designed to meet critical emergency alert situations. One telephone message immediately reaches First Responders, and then every parent in a sch~l system or every person in a neighborhood as needed. r~~~:azsaca'~911 is proven, fast, reliable. You can record your message using voice or near- human text-to-speech. With c 3,000 phone lines, we can deli more than 3,000 calls per min I~essage9111i8D~oO0 p o provide the exact details and instructions needed for the moment. You deploy personrn match the precise scope and location of the crisis. :"`t'i~sst=~ge911 is Flexible. It c~ activate other devices such as sirens, public address systems EAS as a "single point of contr Messa~.le911 is economical. There's no equipment to buy, maintain, become obsolete, or break down. No phone lines to manage, to get cut or pay for every month. Flexible pricing for small or large needs. ~lessage911 is GIS ready. Easy to use mapping tools seamlessly integrate map selections directly with the notification system. Map selections are a breeze. ir~essage911 is load-proven. We delivered over 2 million messages in one 12-hour period. Proof that no one else can match. or call 1-800-541-1643 Real Life Experience "M~.s~a~ge911 is the most powerful and easiest-to-use Emergency Notification tool I've been able to find anywhere -hands down! It's also clearly the most cost-effective solution, and made our decision to shelve our hardware notification system very easy. ~~sa~r~911's focus on providing a truly premium product with excellent support has been outstanding." Tim Cook, CEM, Director Atlanta-Fulton County. amt Americas voice Messe»g~er CallingPost Communications, Inc. 531 Blackburn Drive, Augusta, GA 30907 ®2002 CallingPost Communications, Inc. Message911 is a ~egbterad t~ad~naric of C~IingPost Comm~micat[ons, Inc. ~essage911 is controlled from any phone or web browser anywhere and anytime. It can deliver to land lines, cell phones, pagers, mobile radios and PDA's. Check out a demo at www.message911.com ~~~~ 91~ Emergency Notification Technology Po~dnyce~r~c November 1, 2004 Option No Mapping Basic Professional Premium Maximum Faxes per 24 hour period 50 - 200 1200 Sub-Accounts 1 - 3 9 Included Annual Calls (o„erage ~o or zo cems perca~Q 12,000 12,000 25,000 50,000 First Responders Groups (max number of groups> 1 1 1 1 First Responders Group (max phone numbers) 30 15 60 180 Groups (max s of groups) 120 50 100 200 Group .iize (max phone numbers pergroup) 800 100 300 600 Maps (moot # geographic areas & map•based cell capability) - 50 100 300 Scenarios (max ~ scenarios> 100 50 100 300 Phone Conference Tool (max connections> 3 - 6 12 Guaranteed Lines 6 - 12 36 Text-to-speech / / / / Guaranteed Access to Shared Lines (2,000+) Guaranteed Immediate Access to shared lines / / / Standard Map Tools / / / LatlLong Coord Remote Selection by Phone / / / Detailed Map Data Provided {at charge) / / / Phone numbers Provided (4-cents or less) / / / First Responders Message Board / / / / Radio Integration Feature / / / / Handheld PDA controls and communications * / Plume Development Tools * / System Alerts from 3rd Parties * / Advanced Map Tools / Active InterFacewith 3rc1 Parties * / First year set up and Annual Fee $10,500 $12,000 $24,000 $52,000 Follow-0n years Annual Fee $4,730 $4,200 58,400 $13,000 Average annual cost over 5 years $5,884 $5,760 $11,520 $20,800 * Available with appropriate software upgrades Please consider each package as a general starting point. Any figure in any of the packages can be changed to match your County's needs and the price adjusted accordingly. After you have made your changes to the above information, call or write for pricing information on a package customized for your needs. Don't forget to ask about how to receive an additional discount off the Follow-on years Annual Fee. Please visit our web site at ~<<~~~rt~~}=r,~~s_~~~2~~' ;~.r~r~4 paying particular attention to the t~orr~<~;iti~f~':c,=~r~~ ~_:so~~ page as well as the ~+~~,~:.~~~~)y ~~~Ic~ei ~s~F~~~z~~P~~~~._ The prices listed above are good for Kerr County for 90 days. Timothy M. Altmix lYlessa~e911 Product Manager CallingPost Communica#ions, Inc. taltmix~calli ngpost. tom (866) 250-3733 (Office) 531 Blackburn Drzve Augusta, GA 30907 1-800-541-1643 svsvi-:message911.com Message911 -Emergency Notification Technology FREE MEMO ~ ~1fE13U1E1N FL'Y'ER Quick Comparison COMP~T1tIVE CGMpAfiISON ~ FREQt1EN7 QUESTI~DNS Yage 1 of L Typica! 1 g''' Desktop S stem y Message Over 3,000 phone lines equals over 3,000 8 to 12 phone lines equals Power messages per minute. 8 - 10 messages per minute. Access Anytime, from anywhere simply using Go into office, or use difficult an phone or web-browser. modem dial-in program. Equipment Industrial and Professional Grade, with Standard desktop type PC with t superior quality. failures and quality. Monitoring Continuous remote monitoring of system No remote monitoring, failures f status with 24/7 support. critical time of need. Data Backups Automatic remote-daily's plus continuous Daily backup on single desktop t transaction remote. no transaction tracking. Redundancy Redundant everything -from power Limited redundancy of compone supplies to processors. numerous single-point failures. Dependability Among the highest reliability possible due Uses typical PC and connections to quality of equipment and redundancy. guess on true dependability. Experience System fine tuned with over 65 million Limited to small call-outs delivered messages. Load Proven System delivered over 2 million messages Limited to small call-outs over Ic in one 12-hour period. of time. Run Time Massive UPS units plus redundant Diesel Typical Desktop UPS with no aut Generators, several weeks run time. monitoring, may last several mii Interoperability Data-links integrate with other systems Not available, or with expensive (i.e. WebEOC, plume). customization fees. Ease of use Designed for intuitive use. Literally learn to Requires extensive training and use in minutes. designated person to keep up w Equipment Directly located in two geographically- Office desk or closet with limitec Security separated Carrier Grade Phone Switches. components. Critical Critical communication link from office to Critical link is buried or strung o Phone Link PSTN eliminated. exposed to public failure. Control Central point of control for other systems Closed system -not available. Devices (i.e. radios, siren, EAS). Scalability Upgrade capacity or features easily and Purchase more hardware and pf' almost immediately. slow/difficult process. httv://www.msg911.com/comparison.asp 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notification Technology Page 2 of Z Flexibility Allows easy functional upgrades to match PC components and operating s~ any need, small or large. limits functional upgrades. Sales Culture Provide superior system and support at Side steps critical shortcomings more affordable pricing, system sells itself. uncritical "bells and whistles." Cost About 30 to 60% less than Desktop system High for limited capacity, quickly yearly average. equipment, and annual cost for lines. Typical ~~~ a Desktop S stem Note: ~c=sa~~.~911 has provided this comparison using best data available on 'typical desktop systems'. We strongly ens to do your own comparisons -the more details you dig into, the taller f~Tesba~~911 stands above the competition. In yo comparison, be sure to demand clear answers to the above critical issues. Don't be confused by an onslaught of'secondai the competition in an effort to draw attention away from the critical issues above. If requested, a'~e:~,~vt~ae911 can providf `secondary' features but we typically recommend against a myriad of features that can only confuse the user -especially ii stress environment of an emergency. Real Life Experience "~~~~.~:~~~~911 is the most powerful and easiest-to-use Emergency Notification tool I've been able to find anywhere - hanc also clearly the most cost-effective solution, and made our decision to shelve our hardware notification system very easy. .~?-~.~s~.~a~~:.911's focus on providing a truly premium product with excellent support has been outstanding." 1im Cook, CEM, Director Atlanta-F Copyright ®2002 CatlingPost Communications, Inc. Ca{IingPost, Message9ll and the Message911 images are trademarks of: Callis3gFos3 ~ammxar3icatioris. Trzc. 531 Blackburn Drive, Augusta Georgia 30907 1-800-541-1643 httrJ://www.ms~911.com/comparison.asp 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notification Technology 1. Is the Internet required for Message911 operation? 2. What if my local Internet connection goes down? 3. Do you have alternate facilities that house your operating equipment? 4. We've had our local phone lines cut by a backhoe before. How does Message911 handle this situation should it occur? 5. What are the advantages of having your equipment sitting in the Phone Company Switch instead of on our premises? 6. How does Message911 equipment compete for phone lines in an emergency? 7. How would you know if a Message911 component or system was starting to fail? 8. The Desktop systems use standard PC hardware and software that you can pick up at the local discount store. We know from experience these types of PC's break down occasionally. What grade of equipment do you use and if your equipment does break down, how long does it take to fix it? 9. Are system backups made? 1fl. How is Message911 equipment protected from physical intrusion by unauthorized personnel? 11. Does Message911 utilize Uninterruptible Power Supply (U.P.S.)? Do you have an alternate facility? 12. Is there any monthly phone line cost? 13. What is the 'overage' fee on calls made beyond the free calls provided each monthly? 14. Are there any other monthly/annual fees? 15. Do you have training classes anc~ how long are they? 16. How much does training cost? 17. Can messages be delivered at anytime, 24 hrs. a day? 18. What is the maximum length of a message that I can record? 19. Can Message911 deliver messages to a business extension and/or voicemail Yage 1 of 8 Log in Here! User ID PIN 0 News httn://www.msl?911.com/faq.asp 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notification Technology account? 20. What if we need a special option that is not standard on Message911 system? 21. Do you have a "Proof Of Concept" test period? 22. Can we assign multiple sub-accounts with different access rights? Will each sub- account user be given a unique User ID and PIN? 23. I must be able to notify all of my'Frst Responders° immediately and this could easily exceed 250 people in a critical emergency. How long would it take to notify them, assuming they are reached on the first call? 24. If a notification scenario is set up to contact people with multiple cell, home & work phones, will the system stop the call process once a receipt confirmation has been received? 25. Can Message911 inter-operate with other information systems? 26. Can Message911 inter-operate with recipients of a notification? 1. Is the Internet required for ~~'ess:as~~~911 operation? No. While the Internet is a wonderful management tool, if the Internet went down, ~~e~~~~e911 continues to operate and you can manage your calls using any cell or landline phone. Back to Ton 2. What if my local Internet connection goes down? You can use various access points to control ~~fessa~e911. You can go to another location where the Internet is accessible, use a land line phone, or use a wireless phone to control e:~~~~e911. With a desktop system, you are limited to being directly at the Desktop PC (which could be in the middle of a hazard) or using a difficult dial in program (over local phone lines) to access the Desktop PC. Also, if the local Internet connection goes down, often the local phone lines go down making the Desktop PC totally inoperable. Back to Top 3. Do you have alternate facilities that house your operating equipment? A powerful feature of ~~~ss~~~e91i is that it is built with the most advanced dependability in mind. Our equipment and systems that comprise e~~a~re911 are located in two different major telephone switching centers, hundreds of miles apart, so even if one takes a nuclear blast the other site continues on. Back to Top Yage 2 of x htto://www.ms~911.comJfaq.asv 08/17/2004 Vlessage911 -Emergency voti_ticanon Tec.hno.logy 4. We've had our local phone lines cut by a backhoe before. How does ~e~-sa~-~~3911 handle this situation should it occur? A major advantage of using r^~w~s ~s~e911 is that the critical phone lines link between the Desktop PC system premises and the phone company switch is totally eliminated. Although infrequent, these phone line breaks do occur since the bundle of phone lines are either buried or hung from poles along public access ways. This 'weak-link' of the Desktop PC systems is often overlooked but in reality is a major issue to consider when purchasing a system that can mean the difference in saving millions of dollars in property or even human lives. Since all of the ~~~~.~~,~r~e911 equipment is housed directly in the phone company switch, availability and dependability is many times greater than a locally placed Desktop PC system. Back to Too 5. What are the advantages of having your equipment sitting in the Phone Company Switch instead of on our premises? There are several critical advantages in having our equipment placed in the Phone Company Switch: A. The critical phone bundle link between an off-site premise and the Phone Company Switch is eliminated. Should this critica{ link for Desktops be broken for any reason including internal office wiring probierns, then no notifications can be made. B. Greatly improved access to the Phone Company Switch (see question #ti). C. Greatly improved security of equipment and data (see question #10). D. Greatly improved dependability (see question #11). Back to Top 6. How does r:~e~s~c~9~1 equipment compete for phone lines in an emergency? This is another large advantage with our system. Because t~fessa~e911 is housed directly in the phone company switch we have a direct connection. This allows superior access to both the inbound and outbound lines from the switch. Also, because the locations of our switches are far removed from the locality of the incident, our switches will not be loaded down with local call traffic. Also, because of how our system is designed, the link from ~~~e~~~~r~e911 equipment directly over the phone network into the local switch is far superior to calling in from a local phone (which is what Desktop systems do). Back to Toa 7. How would you know if a ~~.Qess~~e911 component or system was starting to fail? rv~e:~~~~~>91i continuously monitors and tracks numerous hardware and processes, and we are notified immediately, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week if anything out of the rage ~ of zs http://www.ms>;911.com/faq.asp 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notification Technology ordinary occurs. We then immediately diagnose and resolve the issue before it can become a real problem. Unfortunately, Failures with Desktop PC's often go unnoticed until the system is needed, and it's too late to fix. Back to Top 8. The Desktop systems use standard PC hardware and software that you can pick up at the local discount store. We know from experience these types of PC's break down occasionally. What grade of equipment do you use and if your equipment does break down, how long does it take to fix it? We practically never have a problem because our equipment is of the highest industrial grade and built for continuous long-term service. If there is a problem with a piece of equipment, then other systems pick up the load. Unfortunately, if a desktop system goes out, you're at the mercy of shipping the equipment for repair, leaving you with downtime that can last for several days. Back to Top 9. Are system backups made? `'a~>>s.~~~91i exceeds the standard requirements for backup of data. Dual nightly backups are maintained at two different locations as well as a remote real-time backup should a problem occur between nightly backups. Most of the Desktop-PC systems only provide for single backup on a nightly type basis which means you could lose any data developed during the day should a problem occur then, Back to Top 10. How is .~~~a:~.~;~~ie91i equipment protected from physical intrusion by unauthorized personnel? The security level for accessing our equipment is similar to that of getting into a nuclear power plant. Even we, as owners of the equipment, are required to prearrange our visit, have special badges, and be under constant escort when we need to physically access our equipment. All entry is logged and recorded. This is because our equipment is sitting in the same spaces as other high security equipment used by firms such as financial institutions. Compare that to most offices where Desktop PC's sit where different personnel, even un-cleared janitorial services, come and go. Back to Top 11. Does I+~ess~~,ge911 utilize Uninterruptible Power Supply (U.P.S.)? Do you have an alternate facility? All of our equipment is housed directly in major telephone company switching centers with the highest level of security and power/data backup. There are more Industrial Page 4 of ~ httv://www.ms~911.com/faa.asn 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notii_ication ~I`echnology U.P.S. and Diesel Generator Backup systems in these locations than you can imagine and they can run our systems for literally weeks without offsite power. Our equipment is placed right next to the same equipment that provides the backbone telephone service for the whole country. Back to Top 12. Is there any monthly phone line cost? Unlike desktop systems where you have to pay as much as $50 or more per phone fine, ~~=e~~~.a~911 utilizes over 3,000 phone lines with NO monthly phone line charges. There is an 'overage' fee for calls that exceed the number of free calls provided per month in your contract. Back to Top 13. What is the `overage' fee on calls made beyond the free calls provided each monthly? The number of "free" calls per month is set up to cover basic calling needs and most testing. Should a large incident require more calls than provided free, then each call over the free amount is charged at a rate determined in your contract. The larger package you purchase the less expensive the calls are. Calls over the free amount in the large packages that include mapping are 20-cents per emergency call and 10-cents per non-emergency call. It should be noted that should an incident occur that causes a client to use more calls than provided as free, then the responsible party for the incident would normally cover this 'overage' cost. Back to Top 14. Are there any other monthlyJannual fees? There are no additional costs other than the annual license/Maintenance fee. This fee varies between 25% and 40% of the original subscription cost depending on the particulars of each client. By the way, with the essag~911 system you have direct access to our over 3,000 phone ports compared to the handful provided with a Desktop-PC system. And there's no additional charge for those phone ports with ~_~~ r~e~e911 as compared to the phone port cost easily exceeding $14,000 per year for a typical 24-line Desktop-PC system for the time of a staff person perform tape backups and maintains the system, and operates the Desktop system. Back to Top 15. Do you have training classes and haw long are they? One of our most effective achievements has been to make a ~,~~~911 very easy and rage ~ of zs http://www.msg91 l .com/faq.asp 08/17/2004 Message9l ~ -Emergency ^otracation "_I_echnol.ogy intuitive to use. We have the ability to put a lot of whiz-bang "secondary" features in front of the user -but found that to be acounter-productive complication to the user without real value. Users love the simplicity of our system, especially in the middle of emergencies. As a result, clients can learn :~~~~:~~ :-~~e911 and literally use it with less than an hour of self-familiarization. We usually do the training (when needed) directly over the Internet to save customer travel time and expense. Back to Top 16. How much does training cost? We're not in business to make money off of training -we're in business to help you save time and save lives, making 'e~~~a~~e911 so simple to use, training is negligible. Should it be desired, there's no charge for the training unless we travel to your location. Because it's so simple we normally provide training on the spot for our clients when they call - without a lot of scheduling, etc. Back to Top 17. Can messages be delivered at anytime, 24 hrs. a day? Yes, "'~~'~~~~.:~~e911 delivers messages at anytime, 24 hrs. per day, 365 days per year. Back to Top 18. What is the maximum length of a message that I can record? As a result of a great deal of discussion with clients the default message length maximum is set to one minute. The reason they like one minute is that it forces the person recording the message to be concise and get to the point instead of rambling on. A rambled-on message is irritating to the recipients and also can exceed the recording time of some answering machines/voice mail. It's been our experience with clients that one-minute is more than adequate to get the relevant information transmitted. Back to Top 19. Can l~~e~~ae~e9li deliver messages to a business extension and/or voicemail account? Yes, ~~~~w~~=~>>~~;~911 has a powertul feature built in that easily delivers to business extensions or voicemail. Back to Top rage b of ~ http://www.msg91 l .com/faq.asp 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notification Technology 20. What if we need a special option that is not standard on ~;ie~~a~A~911 system? We welcome our clients' suggestions regarding A~~e.ssas~e911 and use those suggestions to not only support that specific client but also to our own advantage in that we feel it adds value to our system for future clients. You will find our relationship one of a mutual partnership and we appreciate, and actually desire the opportunity to work with our clients in meeting their emergency notification needs. Back to Tog 21. Do you have a "Proof Of Concept" test period? ~=le~uc,~,~~.~911 is the only emergency notification product on the market that offers a 30-day money-back policy. We are totally confident that our system, along with our willingness to work closely with our clients, will meet or exceed our client needs. We are very customer driven and will make every reasonable effort to insure our clients are pleased with the ~_~~. ~~~~-~~911 system. Baek to Top 22. Can we assign multiple sub-accounts with different access rights? Will each sub-account user be given a unique User ID and PIN? Yes, r'-~~.~.~ae911 allows the client account administrator to easily set up multiple sub- accounts with different access and control levels. For example one sub-account may be set up for someone with only rights to manage group list while another might be set up with rights to initiate message distribution. We don't hype these types of secondary capabilities as we have found it best to keep essa~e911 as simple to use as possible in critical emergency type situations. Back to Top 23. I must be able to notify all of my `First Responders" immediately and this could easily exceed 250 people in a critical emergency. How long would it take to notify them, assuming they are reached on the first call? It would take one minute or less. Since we have over 3,000 phone lines, r~l~~ M~a~.;~911 is able to initiate more than 3,000 calls simultaneously. Assuming the total time for each call is one minute (connect, ring, greeting from an answering machine, deliver message, disconnect), doing the math you will see that we can reach over 15,000 people in five minutes, or over 180,000 people an hour - a capacity unmatched by desktop systems. With a 12-tine Desktop PC, reaching 250 people could take over 20 minutes, which in emergency situations is a lifetime. Back to Too Page 7 of 8 htm•//www.ms~911.com/faa.asn 08/17/2004 Message911 -Emergency Notification Techno~.ogy 24. If a notification scenario is set up to contact people with multiple cell, home ~ work phones, will the system stop the call process once a receipt confirmation has been received? Yes, but this process takes more time to deliver critical messages because it's a "serial" process, and you may only reach them at the last number attempted. The Emergency people we have discussed this with have chosen the "call alf at once" option, which is performed in parallel, and reaches the person much faster. Desktop systems make a big deal out of the serial method because the number of phone lines they have to work with is very limited. The 'speed' of getting the critical message to the recipient normally overrides trying to save a few calls. Regardless, it's your choice whether you want the serial {slower) method or the parallel (immediate) method. Back to Toa 25. Can a~d~~~~~911 inter-operate with other information systems? Yes. The open structure of ,~~eti~aa~e9i1 allows for easy interaction with other systems. For example, air and CBRNE monitors around buildings like the Pentagon can feed data into a special plume analysis program that forwards the plume results to the .+~~~.~:~.~e9i1 system. ~~%~~:~~~~~+e911 immediately notifies the ~~~~~,~e911 client account administrator of the Incident and the plume is automatically overlaid onto the i~pes ,a~e911 mapping layers so that the user can decide what areas to notify with emergency instructions. Back to Top 26. Can :'°~••r;~ ~,;:~;;,a~911 inter-operate with recipients of a notification? Yes, ~~'~u.~~asa,r911 allows for easy interaction with recipients of notifications. Recipients can reply by pressing any key which then shows up in the real-time call progress reporting. Back to Toa Copyright ~ 2002 CallingPost Communications, Inc. CallingPost, Message911 and the Message911 images are trademarks of: Ca19ia~;~F?ast Cnmr~tureica~ion~Inc. 531 Blackburn Drive, Augusta, Georgia 30907 1-800-541-1643 Page 8 of 8 httn://www.mss911.com/faa.asn 08/17/2004 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Bringing the University to You Fact Sheet FS-03-52 REVERSE 911 Community Alert System for Douglas County When natural orhuman-caused disasters occur, it is important to notify the public and provide safety recommendations. A -~-p:w system recently has been incorporated into Douglas ,unty's emergency management program. The system is called REVERSE 911 and works through our telephones. It uses computer technology to quickly contact many residents and businesses in a specific area to communicate information. When you have an emergency, 911 is the number to call. But, when disasters occur that are unknown to you, REVERSE 911 calls you. How does REVERSE 911 work? closures or alternate routes. The system will also be used for the Guardian Frogram, to periodically check on senior citizens or individuals who Live atone. Who manages REVERSE 911? The Douglas County Communications Department manages the REVERSE 9I 1 system by updating the phone number database, prerecording emergency messages, and upgrading the system's software. In the event of an emergency, the REVERSE 911 operator identifies the neighborhood(s) or affected region within the county. A message is recorded that concisely describes the disaster and recommends actions residents should take. The message is then sent out to listed telephone numbers within that geographic area. If phone lines are busy, the system will empt to redial those nttmbers a predetermined number of umes (three times for example} to make contact. If an answering machine picks up the call, the How much does REVERSE 911 cost? `s~>' The REVERSE 911 system was purchased for $35,000 from Sigma Communications, Inc. of Indianapolis, Indi9na. A local citizens' group, called the Buckbrush Flood Safety Coalition, working in conjunction with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, applied for and received FEMA funds through a Project Impact grant. The Douglas County Communications Department has assumed responsibility for operation and maintenance and will use county departmental funds for these emergency message will be left on the machine. ~ purposes. There >IS no cost to county res>dents. Caller identity machines will read "DOUGLAS ~'t4'' ~ V COUNTY." The time required to reach all „t_ ,, ~~' " Contact the Communications Department, 782- affected residents is dictated by the length of the ~ 9990, if: message (usually 30 seconds), the number of - .. phone numbers called, and the number of rediais • You have an unlisted number and want to programmed. It is possible for our REVERSE 911 system to be contacted by REVERSE 911 in the event of an reach 3,000 phone numbers with a 30-second message in a emergency. one-hour period. What is REVERSE 911 used for? The system is useful for many purposes, but Douglas County is reserving it exclusively for disasters and emergency services: The system will be used for natural disasters, such as flooding, wildfires, and earthquakes, as well as human disasters, such as hazardous spills and explosions. Ether uses may include missing persons, escaped convicts, and mad • You recently changed your phone number and want to make sure that the REVERSE 911 system has your new number. • You have hearing-impaired needs and want your line to be identified as TTY (Teletype Writer). The University of Nevada, Reno is an Equal Opportunity) Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation in any program or activity it conducts. The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. 1 1 ' , t ~r , INTERACTIVE COMIMUNITY NOTIFICATION .. ud w r v z r s e~~ ~ c o m August 19, 2004 Ellen K. Hicks Senior GIS Tech Kerr Emergency 911 Network 87 Coronado Dr., STE 100 Kerrville, TX 78028 hicks911 a~tc.com Dear Ms. Hicks I enjoyed speaking with you on the telephone. I thought I would get the quote out to you and then we could go over the details on the telephone later on if you have any additional questions.. Based on our discussions I have developed the following described Reverse "" 1® System and quotation for review. REVERSE 911®HARDWARE: ^ Intel® Server Class Motherboard with: 865G chipset, 800MHz Front Side Bus, 6PCI slots ^ Intel®Pentium IV 3.0 GHz Processor ^ 1 GB DDR Ram • Redundant, Hot Swappable 400W Power Supplies ^ Promise Fast Track TX2000 RAID Controller ^ Redundant, Hot Swappable 40 GBEIDE Hard Drives (7200 RPM) ^ Integrated Gigabit Ethernet (this is capable of l OMbps, 100Mbps, and 1000Mbps) - Integrated Intel®Extreme Graphics 2 Video • Mid Tower / 19" SU Rack-Mount Chassis ^ Redundant Hot-Swappable, Cooling Fan ^ CD/DVD Burner (used for backup) ^ 1.44MB 3 r/2" Floppy Drive ^ 1T' Flat Panel Multimedia Display ^ Hewlett Packard Color Ink Jet Printer '1 104-key Enhanced Keyboard Microsoft PS/2 IntelliMouse ^ 56K V.92 Modems (for remote access and support) ^ Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS /surge protector providing 60 minutes of backup) • System Telephone ^ Intel Voice card(s): 4-port Voice PCI (analog), 4 port Voice and Fax PCI (analog), 12 port Voice PCI (analog), 24-port T-1 PCI (th~~) ^ Windows XP or 2()03 Server ^ Microsoft SQL ^ ESRI GIS Software REVERSE 911®patented software REVERSE 911® is a patented product protected by three patents concerning public notification. The patents have not been licensed to any other company. The Patents are United States (US) Patent # 5,559,867 "Automated Calling System with Database Updating" date of patent September 26, 1996: US Patent # 5,912,947 "Public Notification and method" date of patent June 15, 1999; and US Patent # 6,009,149 "Automated calling system with database updating by callee" date of patent December 28, 1999. Simply stated, our patent covers any outbound calling session to a particular area or list of callees. During the calling session the caller can ask any question while the callee responds via the keypad on their telephone. That reply is then stored in the computer, and automatically available as a parameter for a future calling session. Sigma Communications, Inc. s7?G ^aa}~[i7le Place l!~rllana~~~c~lls, l!~cfia~?a ~;~~~.~-'G(;~h nQ[~?.~~??. ~~~:3 1 F= ~ -- ~:r: kC -_ ~.4 ~ ..::: :. INTERACTIVE COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION ., w 'x ~ .. ~ r. ~ s e ~ 7 ~ c o u. Practical applications of this patent are crucial to a successful notification system. For example some use it when sending a message to an evacuation area and asking the callee(s} if they need assistance. After gathering the responses, a new message is sent to only those needing help letting them know their message was received and that help is forthcoming. Other communities use this feature to ask for volunteers to help during emergencies and then calling them back with more detailed information. Police Departments can quickly target areas of interest when canvassing neighborhoods in Missing Persons investigations. Multilingual communities utilize the patented technology by asking the callee(s) in what language they would like to receive currern andlor future notifications. TTY/TDD CALLING This protocol allows you to send text messages to the hearing impaired that have the required equipment installed. HAZMAT ,„the Hazmat option offers the capability to quickly create a GeoZone that correlates to the rticular chemical (including chemical weapons) involved in a chemical spill or terrorist incident. Hazardous material spills require certain actions to be taken in the spill area. The Hazmat function uses the National American Emergency Response Guide (NAERG) to automatically draw the Isolation and Protective Action zones as defined in the NAERG, associated with a particular chemical.. These Hazmat zones are defined by either entering the particular chemicals U.N, number or picking it from a list of chemical names. The corresponding zones are then drawn, so that calls can be sent out to the people likely to be affected as a result of the spill. A chemical may require one or two zones, depending on wind strength. If a wind direction is identified, a downwind plume will also -. be drawn. Two separate messages can then be recorded to send to the two individual zones. The patented interactive function wauld provide the Incident Commander with information concerning those residents who need assistance in evacuating. Kerr Emer enc~~ 911 Neri~~ork )Z911'a~ S~•stem Reverse 911®S stem (8 Port) * $2.900.00 Sun-e~- Included TY/TDD Inchuled j 3ase S stem Cost ~2.4,900.0o Available O tions Conuiuuuh- Information Luce $ 2.-400.00 Guardi<~ui $ 2.00.00 Mobilization $ ~.~00.00 Fa~uig $ 2.~OOAO Fay on Demand $ 2.•100.00 Voice Mail $ ~.000.OU HazMat $ x.500.00 E~-euttracker $ x.000.00 Training and List<~llation Included Mauitei>ance c~ Warrants- Year 1 Included Hard~~-are and Soft~~-are Mauiteik~uice 8c Warranh- Year 2 $ ~~8~.00 Database Mainteik~nce c~ Geocoding* Year 2 $1.000.(10 Sigma Communications, Inc. '7;;s; ~_I-y{ ; ? w 17,r~., i~'a 13;1 RCis; it~_l?t?;~ ~^.~ `^ -~~',.t~1n ;?r}f) 7,1~ 1~4~:5 . __ ~_.(. _, .pia. _ ~_ Z._4 1 '~~a >; ~+~ y ~,; . t ~ ~~~ INTERACTIVE COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION ., v~. ,. i ~.. e r= c_ i ~ .. o m *Assumes database will be provided by customer. A commenrial public safety database is available at an additional cost however it does not include non-published and unlisted telephone numbers. An e~rtract of the 9l 1 database is available from you telephone service provider. REVERSE 911®also offers you: ESRI Mapping -- our business partner, ESRI, is the leader in GIS mapping software. This ensures that your REVERSE 911® GeoZone -- a uniquely named, defined geographic area of your map, containing names, addresses, phone numbers, and other information -- application meets your notification needs; Message Delivery Options -- REVERSE 911®noiifications can be delivered by voice, a-mail, numeric and text messaging (pagers, mobile phones, PDA's, etc.); 1 ~eo-Dimensional Calling -- allows you to create a rectangular, donut, circular, pie shaped or polygon GeoZone, locating an origin and specifying a distance; Geo-Directional Calling -you can specify the calling order. This is especially critical with a I3azmat event, when you can identify an Initial Isolation Zone and a Protective Action Zone, giving specific instructions for each zone; Customized CallingLists --you can create calling lists, generating a precisely targeted group of records (names, numbers, addresses, businesses, etc.) for use during a call session; Remote Launching of Calls -- when a person authorized to launch calling sessions is not at the location of the system or network, they can launch calls from a secure laptop, PC or telephone; Caller ID -- REVERSE 911 clients can designate how Caller ID is delivered so that the callees know that this is an emergency call or other important call (vs. seeing "Unknown" on their Caller ID screen and deciding not to answer the call}; °~^teractive Surveys -- allows calling sessions to be set up to send messages which include a series of questions for the callees to pond to by using a touch tone keypad on their phone. The responses are stored by the system for future reference; Reports -- REVERSE 911 offers an extensive group of reports, designed to make it easy to track results of various processes and review useful summaries of information. Currently, there are more than 20 reports available to you. This proposal will be considered valid for 3U days from the date of this letter. Sincerely, Bob Peter Program Manager REVERSE 911 e Sigma Conunuiucatioi~s. laic 2 ~ 1-662-818 1-800-2~7-2,63 est. 6721 ~~tte~_zr r'; _i..ca~z~. Sigma Communications, Inc. /' I' y'`~ ~' I.S. ~._, c~.~0 t-2i1'~:.s~~C- i-''(ei,c,c :s~Ul~ ,cr~}olli, I iCii<~r~ 1~2.~ ~'~u4~ ~.~.' .(._:~,: Welcome to REVERSE 91 l®-Interactive Community Noti':icatian Tha Reverser 911 lnfcractiva Cc~mmuniiy NafiFieation systtim br~ks new ground For e3~eefivaly distrebuFing emer~e.~cy ~rnd r-an-err~rg~n~y m~esstrgea Pa Iorg~ted groups. • Emergency Evacuations • Missing Person Alerts • Emergency Personnel Call-out • Senior Citizen Check-ups • HAZMAT Emergency Response Guidebook • Crime Prevention Safety Tips • Public Service Announcements • Citizen Surveys • Business Crime Alerts • Investigation Assistance • Prison Escape Alerts • Sexual Offender and Predator Notices • Parolee and Juvenile Check-ups • Search and Rescue Operations • Neighborhood Watch Meeting Notices When you need to rapidly communicate information within your community, it is essential to have the proper tools for transmitting your message. Now, a new technology with life-saving potential is becoming a national standard for rapidly communicating critical messages. The REVERSE 911p Interactive Community Notification system breaks new ground for effectively distributing emergency and non-emergency messages to targeted groups. For a complete overview or demonstration of REVERSE 911p Interactive Community Notification system, ~.,:::-~,cr your Sigma Communications representative today. ~ ~~~~'~~ M i~e'~~4~'a"~° 800.247.2363 ~ ~~~: 317.631.6585 ~ s?-rraesi: s-q~:~--i~;">,~;.:;-;-'".~;;" ~c?pyright =004 Sigma Convnunkatitns ?ncerpcrate.i -Ail Rights ?eserved ,~i _ ~. !f t „_, _ •.3 ," , Page l ot~ 1 1-BOD-~ ar.. ~: M~GI~J 'r .~~ ~tii ~ .,f 1. yjtl x httn://www.r911.com/ 08/16/2004 Welcome to REVERSE 911®- Interactive Community Notification Page 1 of 2 t -sots-~ t~E~;;=p~iw ~a~='~,~~.3 ~~s"i° R.IrVtrRSE ~~`!~ "vVith the REVERSE 417 ~ system, our pee~ple tan concanfrale an tF~er work in an emergency situation, and we can sand a simultaneausl}r. Certainly, r~ny~ihing we can dm to improvo our n[f'icianry is important to us." - L7rettar of Err~rgiancy Operation t.„~+~,~~y;R ~~.y~r~; :~~ft~~~d,~re -Designed so you can create and launch an emergency message in just a f moments. Our user-friendly interface allows map-based geographic calling and list calling. You can crea zones on the fly based on immediate circumstances or ahead of time based on anticipated needs, such , citizens of a Neighborhood Crime Watch meeting of emergency response instructions. ~' ~,::~.." '.'~~~E".- ~~ ~ Outbound Calling Ses sion -The entire process to set-up an out _ • `"'" '~""'=-= ~~~- `- ~`_+ calling session, record a message and launch the calls requires on f -~ ; ' • i ~ i ~ R ~ ~ ~ person and takes just a few moments -but it could save hundred: I'^~~• ~~ a ~ hours and it can save lives. Doesn't our communi deserve the ty '; ' ~ ~_ "" ~ ~ ' 4 ' and peace-of-mind that REVERSE 9 10 provides? ~ , ~ , ,.~kw.Ivx , ,. ~ ~ ~F , , i t:t~er ~ixpli~~tias~~ -The REVERSE 9110 Interactive Community system has dozens of applications for many types of agencies and organizations nationwide: local and regional law enforcement departments, emergency management ag governments, health care organizations and private industries, such as public utilities, transportation, fi insurance, and chemical. ~~M~~d~ia~:x~ ~t' C'~3I;; a,.~yright 2x04 Sigtr:a Comrr,urication~ incor~~orated - F;{i ~.igi}ts R?5?i `d0C h,+,.•/l.:n~nx~ rQl l rnm/hnwr~cr91 lwnrk html 08/16/2004 ~L'elcome to REVE[~S.N 9l. lc~ - J.nteracfitve t;ommumty .~ottticatton rake ~ ul ~ EASY INTEGR;~TIC1N °;,a,,,~p_:,~gi}_~A ~~,~~h ~,~~~.>~ I~~ty ~~ ~~~;,4~~~a.; w REVERSE 911p employs the GIS mapping systems that industry standards, so most communities can use their existing data. i<~ .~i a~ ~~:v ~ s,;, ,t,~, -You can import your existing E911 telephone database (where available} into REVS 911p. If your local telephone company is not compliant with F.S. 106-81, Sigma can provide you with t class" commercial database for your system. Either database can utilize the GIS mapping technology th already use. ~:~ ~a.~?rr~esi~ jar%d s~ltst~~-urrrrerac F~agers - In addition to sending recorded voice messages, REVERSI deliver text message to wireless receivers, such as digital pages. ~~.-~r~g~~~:~ i=y~a-~c:~~~sra:;~ia~~ The REVERSE 911 computerized database management system can autorr update your records based on the touch-tone responses of geographically-located call recipients. This le better define your targets and customize your messages according to the needs within your community FLEXIBLE CALLING Reverse91.3.-0rretT~~ -This optional module lets you instantly expand your sy~ calling capacity, via a secure network, by "borrowing" phone lines from other participating communities with which you have a mutual aid agreement. This meet the demands of a large-scale emergency without the cost of installing infrequently used infrastructure. i~erahbec ~°' t~~aa-~Re~sa~re -exclusive to REVERSE 911p, gives your system to seize non-dedicated phone lines for use during necessary call-outs. This le avoid the expense of installing and maintaining additional dedicated phone Iii high Vr~laar~ae Falling _ In emergency situations, an available REVERSE 911 can simultaneously deliver your message across thousands of dedicated phoi which lets you reach entire neighborhoods within minutes. s~~;~-~iax~~;sy~i~~3~,z ~.liisag •- Allows the creation of custom geographic areas, such as "doughnut" shape defined by known factors, such as mile radius and directional progression. CQNVENIEI`•1T SERVICES .~.~tea°act i~°~ Sa.ar~re~ -~ Communities that listen to their citizens' concerns and opinions can provide bettE REVERSE 911® features interactive survey capabilities that allow you to gain valuable insight on import directly from those most affected by new initiatives and policies. Y" Kati 4~et~°~~s 5cis},g Cai.:e,:biti~`ies -You can install REVERSE 911 on a stand-alone processor accessible single terminal or on a network server with many access terminals. ~.~tf-sis:~ ac.tt_a:o t~~atific,~tirs,~ -~ To protect against those rare instances when your system may not be such as whesn you relocate your system in a new facility, Sigma can provide you with access to a back-~ located in our state-of-the-art technical center. http://www.r91 l .com/features.html 08/16/2004 Welcome to REVERSE 911®-Interactive Community Notification Yage j of 3 ~~. ,,~~~;~~,~ ,~,ar~G ~ ~.~,~ ~ .~..~':..i~i~4,~` -The need to rapidly send messages can occur at any hour of the day REVERSE 911® lets you launch a call session from anywhere you have touch-tone telephone access. EXTENDED REACH ~~~ ~- ~_~ ~ t"~a$s~ryrp -This optional module lets you monitor the health and well-being of senior citizens b scheduling automatic "check-in" calls. If the system does not receive back the proper touch-tone respor automatically notify concerned parties that a personal visit is required. °4 ~; ;o~ €:isr ~' ~~ ~=~;~ -This optional module lets you post community information that can be heard b~ calling into the system. The types of information often found on REVERSE 911® bulletin boards include directories, public meeting schedules, road closing and construction information, and community event i- ~ <~ =~ ~~ ~~ ra-"~~~~_.~ ~ ~~ This optional module lets you rapidly transmit printed materials to organizati as sending a photograph of a credit-card-fraud suspect to local retail merchants. In addition, you can m available all of your frequently requested documents to anyone with a fax machine, such as building pei applications and other widely-used municipal forms or reports. '~'~"d;' ~ ~~~~~ ~~ii5,~~ana -This optional protocol lets you send text messages to the hearing impaired who hay required equipment installed. ~'%~a~u~~~ 800.247.2363 ~ ~a;~R 317.631.6585 ~ ~-e~~~il: ~ `.:~ _ Cop,,rio!~;t ZL'~04~ Sigma Cei2vnuric-+.tio~~>'nc:o~~po~ ate. - A!i Rir.,~t7ts ~.e>er~~ed Welcome to REVERSE 911 C~7 -Interactive Community Notification Yage 1 of z -soo-2 a ~ fi Below are answers to some of the questions frequently asked about the sMt'a,~~;~E w~.t~ _~~ Interactive Community Notification system: • Cost? Based on several factors: area population, number and type of phone lines installed, optional mo added to base system • Usage decision maker? Can be department Chief, supervisor, communications officer, or a committee for non-emergency • System availability? The RE's+ER~E X11 ~F; system and our support services are always available • Calls made per minute/hour/day? Determined by length of recorded message and the number of available phone lines: o Eight phone line system can attempt approximately sixteen 30-second calls per minute, 9f hour 0 16 phone line system doubles the amount above o System can initiate approximately 43,200 thirty-second calls per 15-hour calling period (7 10:00 p.m.) o Mass CallT"' Option provides 2,000 phone line • Geo-zone maps vs. lists? Either method can be used for a calling session System support? Support fees after first year based on: hardware options, software options, frequency of database updates • Number of phone lines required? Minimum of eight non-dedicated lines and one dedicated line required for support • Available for hearing impaired? REVERSE 911 ®has ability to call TTY/TDD • Foreign languages? A citizen can choose which language they prefer for future calls. In addition, a message can be rc any language • Adding and removing phone numbers from list? Capability exists to exclude any phone number from calling sessions If requested, excluded numt resume participation at any time if requested htrn•//www rat 1 rnm/fan html 08/16/2004 ~c ~~_: ~s ~. ~,: ~ . y. Get Buy-la from the Top Support from top executives is critical for a successful Automated Notification System program. `~ While the program won't be resource intensive, it will touch people throughout an organization and community. After all, they may be getting calls from the system. They'II need to know that top management and community leadership believe their participation is important. • A successful ANS program requires pre-planning, and often this planning will involve operational sections throughout an organization. Top management's support of the program will help ensure that adequate attention is given to planning. Z. Buy the Right Technology While there are many things to think about that are common for all technology :purchases (vendor success rates, support history, pricing, etc), there are several things unique to notification: • Sizing the System: You want to make sure you've got sufficient calling power. Notification bandwidth comes primarily from the number of telephone lines connected to the system. The more lines, the faster notifications will be delivered. • On-Site vs. Off-Site: Calling power can be enhanced by using DCC's Hosting Center to, (a) either supplement --, notifications for those occasions when you feel your on-site system doesn't have enough calling power, or (b) as your primary system. Generally, the. Hosting Center will have far more calling power than an on-site system, and you have no monthly phone line expense. • Stand Alone vs. Connected: DCC has the ability to place its notification system either on Local Area or Wide Area Networks, or on the web. While a notification program far multiple groups can be easily administered from one system, there may be advantages to giving multiple users access at various points. Note: Computer access is not required to activate the system; it can be activated from any touch-tone telephone. • GIS: If you're planning to use your system for community notifications, you may want to use Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. GIS gives you the ability to use digital maps to pinpoint precise geographic areas for notifications. There are several important GIS considerations: -Does your community have G1S maps already? If so, they can likely be used in your notfication system. If not, DCC can supply maps. (Local GIS maps are generally more accurate.). -What's the best source for the telephone numbers? Ideally, local 9-1-1 numbers will be used. But, they're-not available in some areas because of state laws and a lack of cooperation by local telephone companies. This is fast changing, and DCC has extensive experience in helping customers get the best phone data possible. When 9-1-1 data is not available, DCC can supply phone numbers produced by a commercial phone database compiler. Some communities will use both 9-1-1 data and "commercial" data - 9-1-1 data for emergency notifications, and commercial data for non-emergency notifications. Surc~ess ~c ~..~.... dccusa.com 3. Pick the Right Admir~istratars & Right operators Several levels of involvement are generally used (although multiple positions are often held by the same person). • System Administrator: Serves. as the "master controller" of the system. It's helpful, but not necessary, for this person to have IT experience. Most involvement by the System Administrator is at the front-end, as there's little ongoing System Administration required. • Key Operator. This person coordinates use of the system. IT experience is not necessary, but organizational skills and `~~ enthusiasm are. This person can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful notification program. • Users: These are the people who activate the system and in the cases of "internal" notifications receive calls from the system. Activation is very simple; little training and computer skills are necessary. The most important considerations for determining Users are policy and procedure. 4. Edacate Four basic types of education are recommended` • Stakeholder Familiarization: It's a good idea to make those whose operations will benefit from a successful notification program familiar with the system's capabilities, which can be extensive. By understanding the capabilities, they'll be in a better position to suggest uses of the system, and to help make sure the notification program is a success. • Training: Required for System Administrator and Key Operator(s). Training is conducted. at the time of installation, and generally lasts aday-and-a-half to two-days. The System Administrator(s) and Key Operator(s) can train User(s) with an ..^ hour. To insure greater success of the User(s), this training should take place soon after installation. • Continuing Education: It's a good idea for System Administrators and Key Operators to receive supplementary training at some pointafter the notification program has been in effect for a while, generally 60 to f20 days afterwards. This training is generally more thorough and benefits from the lessons learned during the initial phase of the notification program implementation. DCC recommends that this training occur at DCC's training facility near Nashville during a three-day course. System Administrators and Key Operators may choose to offer refresher training for Users, as well. Recipient Awareness: Those who will receive notifications should be educated about the system. In the case of internal notifications., message recipients need to be educated on how the system will be used and what they need to do when they are called. For example, for certain types of notification, you may wantthem to use an ID code to confirm message delivery. In the case of external- (community) notifications, the public will. need to be told that they may get calls from. the system, and why. You'll find that the local media will be very cooperative in this effort, and a very positive community response will result. (DCC can help provide guidance and assistance in educating the community). 5. Let us Help Customers are our greatest asset. It is important to us that our experience is reflected in our customer's extensive knowledge of their notification solution. Use the already gained knowledge of long-standing DCC customers to make your system work best for you. We look forward to learning of your many successes. ~ ~ ~~., • Simply log into the program • Choose or build acall-out scenario • Attach or record an incident-specific message • Launch the notification `/iew call-out activity in real-time reports - Print/email reports as often as needed With Communicator! NXT, building call-out scenarios is quick and easy. ..> Y Roster information can be viewed/updated from any location, making it easy to keep contact information current. Communicator! NXT... Web-Based Emergency Notification hen specific groups, such as first responders, crisis action teams and the media need to be alerted or mobilized, public safety operations are choosing Communicator! NXT - the~next generation in emergency notification technology from DCC (Dialogic Communications Corporation). Communicator! NXT combines Microsoft~.NET" and SQL to deliver the industry's most advanced, yet easy-to-use web-based emergency notification solution. With the application installed and an Internet or network connection, you can now manage roster information, create notification scenarios and launch emergency or routine call-outs from any location in the world -safely and securely. System wizards guide you through the notification process, making scenario set-up, message recording and system activation quick and error-free. Most importantly, contact with everyone is made through all available communications media (e.g., phone, pager, fax, email, optional SMS messaging, etc.) within minutes, increasing their awareness of -and response to -the situation at hand. Powertul, real-time reporting keeps you on top of the notification and recovery effort. ~.. ~ ~~, ' - ' ~ Communicator! NXT, available as an on- or off- site solution (or a combination of both), delivers porl "D~ ~ < ~ ~ the flexibility and redundancy necessary for the most critical and widespread of public safety :~ ~.' y s~ s,,,, .~-~ ~" ~ ; communications. Use your on-site phone lines ~~ _ _ --' for notification or take full advantage of DCC's ~,,,. ,. - -~ comprehensive hosting capabilities. Optional GIS ~•-~"~' ~ integration enables map-driven communication with key audiences in specific geographic ~, -•~ " locations (e.g., flood plains, evacuation routes, etc.)~for notification with pinpoint precision. ~~+~y 1~ ,,,•-~" ~ ,, Bringing emergency notification technology ~~~ ~ to the worldwide web, Communicator! NXT ~,. from DCC ensures rapid, accurate communl- .-- cation for virtually any public safety threat. To learn more, call 800.723.3207 ar visit dccusa.com. Communicator! NXT's Report Viewer shows cal!-out status and report options In real-time. Terrorism Threats S ~. m r N School Notifications CO l I 1/ 1 1' U I I I C e~ f U I' f (LAN, WAN, Internet) es server QL Database) Phone Lines ~~ t ~ r' f + - t ~ ,..~ .. ~., .. . , .. - ~ ._r . ~- Cell Phone Home/Work Email PDA Pager Fax Phone ., :. ..: . ~x .~- • Au't~mates~a~emergency ortorttirle not#icat(~rt:p~0eddi,re ~ Elffers a varier;~ifyiNay~to s~rrt~aevr~rrfonati6rt • Allows call-outsto'be activated remotery through any-Int~rriet _ ... •:Supports clier-f/server'access ouer LANs, WAi~s orthe Internet connectionrisk are always in the communications loop, helping to ensure publ(c safety in times of emergency. Immediate Notification for Faster Response Fast and precise communication before, during and after a critical event is essential for faster response. The Communicator! delivers incident-specific messages using all communications media (phone, pager, fax, email, PDA, etc.), while automatically routing callers- to the latest information regarding the situation at hand. Whether advising first responders of approach instiructions, informing residents of evacuation procedures or receiving inbound calls from the media for status updates, The Cormunicator! provides immediate, two- waycommunication forany circumstance. System features include on-the~fly :message recording, remote call-out act(vation, fax-on-demand and the running of multiple, simultaneous notification scenarios. GIS Integration for Broader Reach To further expand The Communicator!'s reach, DCC offers GeoCast, the latest in GIS (geographic information system) integration. Based on the industry standard, ArcView from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute), GeoCast enables precise geographic selection and notification of those in harm's way. The combination of digital, street-level maps with the most accurate phone data available provides users of The Communicator! with the most advanced GIS tool for community notification available. In fact, GeoCast processes thousands of names and phone numbers per minute, initiating first warnings within only a matter lhelr preferences, and System Features & Benefits • Automates any notification procedure, ~aardless of complexity as key personnel and dispatchers from placing and receiving calls • Prompts for yes/no responses to qualifying questions, logs ETAs, etc. • Delivers information to hearing impaired persons via TDD/TfY devices • Allows individuals to update their own contact information automatically • Provides comprehensive reports detailing- notification results • Reduces the risk of Muman error and manual call tree breakdown ASP/Hosting - An Riternative Notification Solution The Cammunicatori can also be deployed as an off-sitenoti#icationso}ufion. providing public safety operations secure access to DCC's state-of-the-art hosting and communications back-up facilities. Remote activation launches call-out scenarios at any given time. Whether used for redundancy of a primary, on-site. installation, or as an ini~ependenf hosting service, the company's ASP option ensures. 24/7 readiness for any notification need: the Communicator! -:The Answer fo Today's Pubiic Safety nitiatves Regardless thesize of-your public safety operation, The Eommuncatori from DCC can meet ite- pecifie notification needs with toeakauthorities, first.. responders and communities-at-risk: Relyon the leader in high=speed notification technology.,.. Rely on'DGG and The Communicator!.. - To learn more, call 80D: 723..3~a7 or 6:fi5. T90:288~ ar "visit dccusa, sorrt~ Contacts /Irst response teams and key personnel through any communlcatlons device