Correction: Greendale's New Reverse 9-1-1 Community Telephone Notification System

A correction was issued on May 24 for an article that ran on May 15. Phone numbers on the Do Not Call list are included in the system.

Most residents know they can call 9-1-1 to get immediate assistance in the event of an urgent police, fire or medical situation. Emergency services personnel in Greendale are now able to take that reassurance to the next level. 

With its new Reverse 9-1-1 Community Telephone Notification System, the Village of Greendale can alert residents, businesses and visitors about potential emergency circumstances and rapidly notify specific geographical areas by telephone with minimal impact on emergency services personnel. 

“This system enhances our ability to notify the general public of emergency situations and the evacuation procedures currently listed in the Village’s emergency plan,” said Village Manager Todd Michaels. 

How does Reverse 9-1-1 work? 

In the event of an emergency, the Greendale Police can identify the affected area and record a message that describes the situation and recommends the protective actions residents should take. The Reverse 9-1-1 system can automatically call all listed telephone numbers within that geographic area and deliver the recorded message. The system which is being installed by Global Connect handles 1,000 calls a minute. 

“The Reverse 9-1-1 system is an immediate asset to our community,” said Manager Michaels. “This technology enables us to notify the citizens and visitors concerning hazards in their immediate area.” 

The system uses existing telephones to alert citizens. There is no need for people to buy a specialized warning device. System administrators can also program additional telephone numbers into the database, allowing the addition of unlisted telephone numbers and cell phone numbers to the system. 

The system can deliver text messages to TTY/TDD devices as well, which will greatly enhance the City’s ability to warn and protect citizens who are deaf or have hearing challenges. 

The incorporation of the Reverse 9-1-1 system represents the Village of Greendale’s continuing commitment to providing its residents with the most advanced technologies available to ensure that our local public safety is as effective as possible. 

Some of the many uses of the system include: 

• Emergency Evacuations 

• Missing Person Alerts 

• Natural Disaster Alerts 

• Hazardous Material Leaks 

• Search and Rescue Operations 

• Neighborhood Emergency Incidents 

• Homeland Security Notifications 

Unless manually added to the database, it will not include unlisted numbers, cell phones or Voice over IP (Broadband) phones. Those phone numbers can be manually entered into the system linked to a specific address. Once linked, the cell phone or unlisted number becomes essentially fixed to that location. Citizens who have recently moved into Greendale should register with the system and visitors can also temporarily register for a given time period. Phone numbers on the National Do Not Call List are already included. 

To register your address and phone number or to add cell phone information, please go to the registration area on the Village’s web site, www.greendale.org. Registration forms are also available in person at the , 5911 West Grange Avenue.