Oriskany, New York --[EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION NEWS]-- September 20, 2006 - The Oneida County Department of Emergency Services announced today that they have new technology to enhance their emergency response capabilities. “We, in addition to our fire departments and 9-1-1 center, use the software as an alerting system for the public,” explained Fred Van Namee, Director. “And, I anticipate that our use of this technology will expand over time.”
The emergency notification system is made up of two solutions from Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC) — Communicator! NXT and GeoCast® Web. The first, Communicator! NXT, works as a calling engine that quickly sends voice and text messages to all types of communications devices, including phone, email, pager and fax. The software is powered by Microsoft® .NET™ and SQL technologies and can be accessed by selected officials from any location via phone or web.
GeoCast Web, Dialogic’s map-based component, works in conjunction with Communicator! NXT. It allows the department to select targeted notification areas on digital, street-level maps — ranging from a single city block to an entire county. GeoCast Web will then send messages by phone to affected residents.
“We recently used the technology to alert a number of residents about flooding on their road,” Van Namee said, referring to dangerous storms in upstate New York that created a state of emergency for Oneida County.
When Dialogic’s software is activated, residents receive a message containing important up-to-date information, such as evacuation routes, shelter locations or missing person alerts. In addition to communicating with local residents, the Oneida County Department of Emergency Services will also use the new system to mobilize first responders. The technology can automatically deliver detailed information or instructions regarding the situation-at-hand, and accordingly fill positions, collecting valuable details, such as ETA and more.
About The Oneida County Department of Emergency Services
In Oneida County, the Department of Emergency Services is lead by the Director of Emergency Services and comprises three separate offices: The Office of the County Fire Coordinator, The Office of Emergency Management, and the Office of Emergency Communications 911 Center. Though each office has its own unique mission, their functions often blend together to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of county residents.
Oneida County Department of Emergency Services Automated Communications Through Technology
