Monterey County Grand Jury • 2014-2015

Calling All Residents the Alertmontereycounty System

Published: May 15, 2015 8 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 10 findings

F1
AlertMontereyCounty is potentially the most effective method of reaching all citizens with both emergency and non-emergency notifications, in English and Spanish.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
OES continues training city personnel in the application and use of AlertMontereyCounty.
F2
Despite maintaining a sophisticated and flexible alerting system, the County of Monterey cannot reach the majority of residents in an emergency using AlertMontereyCounty.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
OES reaches all agencies operating within the county—including Highway Patrol, Sheriff, and CalFire—for training in the use of AlertMontereyCounty.
F3
Reaching all citizens in the event of an emergency is critical.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
CAO immediately commits resources (financial and personnel) needed to publicize Alert- MontereyCounty with the goal of registering all wireless telephones by a specified target date.
F4
Individuals can register for AlertMontereyCounty only through the website, making regis- tration difficult for those who are not experienced with computers or do not own a com- puter.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
OES works with local libraries throughout the county to distribute information about Alert- MontereyCounty and to assist patrons in registering wireless telephones. All libraries should be participating
F5
It is difficult for residents who do not speak or read English to register.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
County and municipal governments require all county and municipal employees to register their wireless telephones 7
F6
As disaster relief workers it is important that all county employees can be contacted in the event of an emergency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
OES seeks the assistance of Everbridge in developing alternatives, , for residents to register for AlertMontereyCounty. These alternatives may include but not be limited to: a) Telephone b) Printed application that can be mailed to the OES.
F7
Adequate funding has not been allocated for advertising and promoting the need for indi- viduals to register wireless telephones with AlertMontereyCounty.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
OES requests Everbridge to provide a Spanish language registration form
F8
Having all residents of the county registered with AlertMontereyCounty will allow for consistency of messaging in the event of an emergency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
OES asks those institutions or agencies currently using their own notification systems (the City of Carmel, CalFire, Monterey Peninsula College, Hartnell College, and the Naval Postgraduate School) to encourage constituents to register with AlertMontereyCounty
F9
Because the Everbridge software does not include a follow-up component, residents who attempt to register get no confirmation that registration has been successful. If the registra- tion has not been accepted for some reason, they may not know and have a false sense of security with the notification process.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
OES works with senior centers, assisted living facilities, and medical facilities to educate and register staff, members, and residents.
F10
Libraries are an important access point for many residents. As of February 2015, printed materials regarding AlertMontereyCounty were not available at many local libraries, and library staff, when questioned, were not fully briefed on the registration process.
Related Recommendations (1)
R10
CAO convenes a working group of emergency services personnel and interested parties to promote registration with AlertMontereyCounty.

Additional Recommendations 1

These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.

Agency Responses 1

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

No Responses Found 1

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