Why a 'Reverse 911' System is Needed in Portsmouth

about the requested "Reverse 911" system to make emergency notifications by telephone, indicate that some on the council do not understand emergency communications.

Using Twitter or any other single social media platform to notify residents would be useful but implies that everyone uses the Internet. While TV is also a good source, there is little specific local information available from television, and the problem changes dramatically when the (a "mere" tropical storm when it passed by Portsmouth, as our EMA folks are keen to point out).

The common communication system that almost everyone has is a telephone. To communicate effectively before, during and after an emergency, the town needs to use all of these methods - social media, TV, local radio and the telephone to ensure that residents are kept informed.

A "Reverse 911" system is relatively inexpensive and provides a core capability when others fail or cannot be used.

I hope that the Town Council will listen to their own emergency management professionals and fund this capability, which is in use in most communities around the country, in their final budget.