Storm warning system leaves landline users in slow lane

March 4– Hardin County’s new phone-based storm warning system appears to work great–but only if you don’t want to receive an actual phone call.

In a county-wide test Thursday, the system’s performance sending text and email messages to cell phones and computers vastly outshined a lackluster demonstration of its ability to deliver voice messages to landlines and cell phones.

While texts and emails were received in many instances just seconds after the noon test activation, voice messages were still being sent out an hour later, at which point the test was concluded.

"We recommend the text messaging system or email to receive the alerts. This delivery method went great," today said Hardin County E-911 Director David Alexander.

However, that is not an option for those who lack the means to afford cell phones or Internet service, or live in areas of the county that lack wireless coverage.

The bottom line, according to Alexander, is that phone companies serving the area lack the infrastructure to handle the voice call demand in the short amount of time available to be useful in a countywide, fast-moving emergency.

The county E-911 board recently signed a one-year, $17,000 contract with Inspiron Logistics to implement its "Wireless Emergency Notification System," or WENS.

The system went live on Feb. 21 with approximately 13,000 landline numbers. Since then, about 1,600 cell phone customers have subscribed.

The system is designed to deliver not only storm warnings, but also specialized alerting of small areas for instances including evacuations, road hazards or child abductions. In addition, it provides another avenue of communication for first responders such as volunteer firefighters.

In an effort to speed the delivery of voice warnings, Alexander said the E-911 office is striving to reduce the number of landline numbers in the system database. Schools and many businesses have numerous phone numbers which the system is attempting to dial, when perhaps fewer are needed.

He noted that many storm warnings, especially tornado warnings, are limited only to portions of the county.

In actual practice–unlike the test–landline customers will receive warnings only if their geographic location is in the warning area. This should also enhance delivery of voice messages.

Thursday’s test followed a real-life system activation just three days after it went live as the National Weather Service issued tornado, thunderstorm and flash flood warnings.

Programming and technical difficulties which Inspiron said have been corrected contributed to thousands of WENS warning messages of all types not being delivered, prompting a public apology from the company.

Nearly three dozen Courier Facebook page subscribers posted comments following yesterday’s test. Here’s a sampling:

Sheila Cox– "Received all my text and my husband got his also. Even got mine on Hunter Hill office phone, got my email also. Great service."

Shannon Hagy Hill– "No phone call and its 2:05 p.m...not good!"

Vicky McCain Wilkerson– "We received all our alerts today on both the landline and the cell phone. Even got the call on the landline at work. Works great!"

Zak Young– "Just got mine at 12:55 an hour late. Seems a little behind the power curve for a tornado warning!"

Sandy Whited Thompson– "I got a call. At the end, I was supposed to press 0 for something or 1 for something, but the voice was so...I don’t know...computerized or whatever, that I couldn’t understand it. I am pleased that I did get a call though."