Reverse 911

Kent County Office of Emergency Services is pleased to announce the addition of a new tool to help warn residents in times of an emergency. Reverse 911® was purchased with funding granted by the Kent County Commissioners last fall. Reverse 911® is a notification system used for time sensitive, mass distribution of messages. Kent County will be able to issue warnings for emergencies such as natural disasters, missing person’s alerts, terrorism threats, escaped prisoners, water contaminations and hazardous materials incidents. Kent County will also be able to deliver messages to concentrated groups of people either geographically or by a customized list that would include, Washington College students, Kent County Public Schools early dismissals or cancellations, etc. With the technology of the Reverse 911® system, the 911 Dispatchers can create a customized message or choose from one that we have pre-recorded, select a geographical area or pre-created list and send out the message. Kent County Office of Emergency Services will also have the capability to conduct periodic emergency related feedback surveys. There will also be a “Community Information” telephone line released that citizens can call 24 hours a day and hear messages such as: Road closures, detours, water main breaks, community events, etc.
The uses for the system are virtually boundless in reference to notifying the public of a problem or emergency.

            Kent County’s Reverse 911® system is capable of sending notification to land lines, cell phones, alpha and digital pagers, fax machines, email address, and TTY/TDD Devices (for hearing impaired). Currently, the 9-1-1 Center has 8 dedicated phone lines for the Reverse 9-1-1 system that can send approximately 500 phone calls in 30 minutes. In the event of a scenario that would require county-wide notification, we can send the message to a call center capable of making over 40,000 phone calls in 15 minutes. However, there is a charge per call for using the call center to the County, which in the event of a major natural disaster would be eligible for consideration for State/Federal reimbursement. Kent County will begin testing the new system very soon. Citizens can expect to hear a message from one of the Kent County 9-1-1 Dispatchers advising that this is “Test of the Kent County Reverse 9-1-1 system…..etc” We welcome all citizens to list their preferable or additional contact numbers with the Kent County Office of Emergency Services as soon as possible or option out of the system if they prefer. We are beginning with a database of approximately 15,000 numbers from our 9-1-1 database and can add an infinite amount of additional numbers.

Registration forms are available from the following locations:

Kent County Government Center / Commissioners Office
400 High Street
Chestertown, MD 21620

Kent County Sheriff’s Office
104 Vickers Drive
Chestertown, MD 21620

Any Town Office

On the web: www.kentcounty.com/ema/pdf/reverse911.pdf

Or by emailing: reverse911@kentgov.org