City to txt msg in case of emergency

Chicago has launched a program called "Notify Chicago," through which the city can text message emergency information en masse to people who register for the service.

Mayor Richard Daley made the pitch for the service on Tuesday, two days before the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

According to Daley, the city has long been able to send recorded messages to home telephones with information about emergencies. Daley said sending text messages to cell phones and devices such as BlackBerries marked "a great step forward."

According to Daley, anyone who registers for the new program would receive messages in weather emergencies, terrorist attacks and hazardous material situations.

In January 2007, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's nationwide assessment of emergency communications nationwide showed a lack of progress in Chicago.