Vernon Hills gets emergency notification call system

They likely won't use it very often but Vernon Hills officials are excited about a new service to contact residents in case of emergency.

The Connect--CTY service provides village-to-resident notification in three to five minutes.

"It used to take 12 to 20 hours," said Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer. "This is a much better system and it will reach you wherever you're at."

While the system has been in place a few weeks, only a few residents have signed on. Village leaders plan to outline the new system in the upcoming village newsletter.

Up to three phone numbers, including cell phones, and two e-mail addresses per person can be contacted, said John Kalmar, assistant village manager.

"You have multiple options," he said. "If it goes to your answering machine, it will leave a message."

The $18,000 system allows authorized village officials to create and disseminate messages to every number stored in the database. Such information might be used to alert residents of a severe weather situation or hazardous conditions affecting local roads, for example.

"It's only emergency notification at this point," Kalmar said.

Information provided to the village board shows that personal information will not be sold, traded, leased or loaned to any third party. Connect-CTY is a trademarked service of California-based NTI Group, Inc.

The service also allows the village to target specific groups with information. The system can be used to mobilize emergency response teams, or notify department heads or village board members of critical information. They in turn can contact residents or businesses in specific blocks, neighborhoods or the entire village.

Village officials said they don't want to overuse the system to where the public becomes immune to the messages.

"If you get a call in the middle of the night from us, it's got to be something bad," Kalmar said.

Village Manager Mike Allison, Kalmar and Fleischhauer or their designees are authorized to activate the system.

For more information, visit www.vernonhills.org.