Emergency system's need for upgrades reviewed
By Doug Grindle Community Reporter

Marlborough - Marlborough city councilors on the Public Safety Committee heard about a plan to improve the city's ability to notify residents quickly in an emergency at the committee's meeting Dec. 3. The city's emergency management director told the City Council the system needs upgrades.

The "reverse 911" plan makes it possible for city officials to notify residents quickly in case of an emergency, such as during a fire that is leaking dangerous gas.

The city's Emergency Management Director Donald Cusson told the committee he is requesting $6,000 to upgrade the system, which is currently able to handle 862 calls each hour. The upgrade would boost that number to 2,300.

In describing the system to councilors, he said city emergency personnel, such as the fire chief, are able to draw a ring around an incident on the map of the city, using the screen of a computer. The system shows all the telephone numbers within that ring. The city official then creates a voice message that is sent immediately to the telephone numbers.

"It plots all the telephone numbers in that area," Cusson said.

Councilors pressed for details on how the system worked, and whether it has any flaws.

"Is there any way to check ands see that there aren't any stray calls generated?" Ward 5 Councilor Maura Navin Webster asked.

Cusson said the city official on the scene can draw the radius to include only those houses aff ected.

"Who is the person in charge that makes the call?" Ward 6 Councilor Edward Clancy asked.

Cusson said only Marlborough city officials could generate calls.

He added that the system could be operated by the Marlborough Fire Department, Police Department and the Department of Public Works. But he said it had seen limited use so far.

"They all have the system but not too many are using it," Cusson said.

Ward 2 Councilor Paul Ferro said he was concerned the system can only call land lines. He said many people use only cell phones.

"I don't have a land line," Ferro said. "And land lines are so 20th century, and we are in the 21st century."

Cusson told reporters the system handles listed and unlisted land lines, as well as some cell phone numbers through Verizon. But many cell numbers are not included in the listings.

At-Large Councilor Patricia Pope asked if there is some way people could notify the emergency management department of what the best number would be to call. Cusson held up a form that can be use to notify the city.

Pope suggested putting the form on the city's Web site and Cusson said he would get it done.

"We can make it available," he agreed.

Residents would have to fill out the form and mail it back, he said.

Cusson said the service is being run by Sigma Corporation. Currently the system costs $3,800 a year to run, and with the upgrade the annual cost will rise to $5,000. But Cusson said the bid is well below that of a rival firm, which quoted the city $44,440 per year.

"Cost-wise it's much more efficient to maintain what we have," Cusson said.

Cusson said once the request is approved by the City Council, he could have the upgrades installed by the end of December.

The committee tabled the proposal.

This meeting was the last for public safety committee member Ward 7 Councilor Richard Towle, who retires from the council in January 2008.