| Many of you may have heard of a relatively new | | | | bothered to help themselves and allow all the others to |
| phenomenon called the Reverse 911 Telephone | | | | fend for themselves! Therefore, the only way to make |
| System. Across the USA, local police, fire and | | | | the Reverse 911 telephone system truly effective is for |
| paramedics departments have been implementing the | | | | the public safety departments to do the job |
| system for purposes of establishing immediate contact | | | | themselves and populate the databases with every |
| with the population to notify of possible health, weather | | | | resident's phone number. But how?! Why, reverse |
| or other safety emergencies and provide instructions | | | | phone lookup, of course! |
| for further actions. | | | | One imagines, every town can spare a couple of |
| Thus far, the feedback has been very positive. Most | | | | operators to mine the phone data by running a |
| people who have had the opportunity to experience | | | | reverse phone lookup on every household, and |
| the system at work, have been grateful to have | | | | subsequently populating the databases. More often |
| up-to-the-minute alerts and pertinent information. These | | | | than not, these transactions may even be free for |
| are the area residents whose phone numbers have | | | | published numbers. And even when they are not, it |
| made it into the system. The problem authorities have | | | | seems to make sense to spend a handful of change |
| encountered is obtaining phone numbers for every | | | | per transaction after spending thousands of dollars on |
| household in their jurisdiction. People are encouraged to | | | | a system that can't achieve its optimal potential unless |
| update online databases with current contact | | | | it can reach, forewarn and protect every individual. So, |
| information, but it hasn't worked as well as expected. | | | | man up public servants, and do the job yourselves if |
| So far, only about half of the overall population has | | | | you want it done right. Without the help of reverse |
| done so. So what are the authorities to do? After all, | | | | phone lookups, the Reverse 911 System is a hit-or-miss |
| sometimes people have to be saved in spite of | | | | at best, and that's just not what it was meant to be. |
| themselves. One can't only alert those who've | | | | |