"Public safety has always been my number one priority and today we are helping 17 California counties improve their disaster readiness," Governor Schwarzenegger said. "Today's action means we will soon be able to supply immediate, life-saving information to residents in every county in California before, during or after an emergency. This technology is crucial because last year's devastating wildfires reminded us of the dangers we face."
Telephone emergency notification systems are a proven technology to call, text and e-mail persons in a given geographical area with life saving emergency information. They were used in last year's wildfires and in the recent Summit Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains to warn and evacuate thousands of residents. The technology is designed for use in any natural or man-made disaster.
The following 17 California counties without telephone emergency notification systems will now be able to purchase them: Alpine, Modoc, Trinity, Plumas, Colusa, Del Norte, Siskiyou, San Benito, Tehama, Mendocino, Humboldt, Kings, Imperial, Tulare, San Joaquin, Monterey and Kern.