North Aurora gives 911 emergency system additional power

North Aurora has a new outlook on what a 911 emergency system can do.

By providing a reverse call system, the village can increase its contact with the community, whether it is for safety services or information, Village Administrator Sue McLaughlin said.

If there is string of burglaries, a change in lawn watering restrictions or other information the community might need, the system will call everyone affected -- either at home or on a cell phone.

It can also call first responders when they are needed. For instance, if a diver is needed for an emergency in the river, the system would call one on file.

In another service, reverse 911 will also allow people to make sure elderly or disabled loved ones are OK by calling them at a fixed time and requiring a code to be entered. If the code is not entered, listed family members will be notified, McLaughlin said.

The system could also provide everyday information, acting as a bulletin board and providing traffic and weather conditions, she said.

The system was running in July, with McLaughlin, Police Chief Tom Fetzer and Management Analyst Wes Kornowske trained as administrators. McLaughlin said the village will now try to build its database of phone numbers.

The village will look to add numbers of interested people with messages on its water bills and at North Aurora Days. The system already has around 4,000 numbers.

The reverse call system cost about $55,000, with about $20,000 coming from a grant, McLaughlin said.

And at that cost, it will actually save the village money. Whenever the village had to make mass calls in the past --for instance, for the lawn watering ban two years ago -- it used a similar system in Aurora by purchasing a block of time, which could cost thousands of dollars.

Now, getting the message out will come at the cost of a local call.

"It's quite a system," McLaughlin said.