18-CHANGING ALERT NOTIFICATION SYSYSTEMS FOR THE CITY OF PARISCITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM BRIEFING SHEET
Submittal Date:
11/16/2011
Originating Department:
Presented By:
Agenda Item No.:
Council Date:
12/12/2011
Police
Chief Hundley
18.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Direction to Staff
POLICY ISSUE(S):
Changing Alert Notification Systems for the city of Paris
BACKGROUND: PAGE ONE
In April of 2008, the City of Paris entered into an agreement with the Emergency Communications
Network to provide emergency message capability through their product of CodeRED. The system
was a telephone call notification system which could be utilized by the city to send out emergency
messages, informational messages along with automatic severe weather notifications when our
area was threatened. This system came highly recommended along with a cost; $15,000.00 for
50,000 minutes of telephone time along with $7500.00 for the automatic severe weather
notification. The $7500 was waived for the first year contract.
The system worked well and provided the city with an excellent manner of pushing information to
our citizens. The automatic severe weather notification gave a peace of mind to our citizens by
getting phone calls when severe weather became a threat to the city. This system could call all of
our local phone numbers in a matter of minutes.
The only issue with CodeRED was the high cost and the lack of text messaging or e-mail capability.
Being concerned with the cost of CodeRED, we looked and became aware of other less expensive
notification systems. WENS (Wireless Emergency Network) was considered due to a lower cost
and favorable reviews from references.
The cost of only $11,000 for 50,000 calls and no cost for severe weather notification along with
free e-mail and text messaging was the deciding factor to move to the WENS platform
EXHIBITS:
ACTION:
BUDGET INFO:
❑ Financial Report ❑ Minute Order
Expense
❑ Department Report ❑ Resolution
❑ P
i
Budgeted Amt.
resentat
on E] Ordinance
❑ P
H
bli
i
❑ O
h
yTD Actual
u
c
ear
ng
t
er
Acct. Name
Acct. Number
FISCAL NOTES:
REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY:
Z Administtation Z City Clerk ❑ Community Development ❑ EMS/IT ❑ Finance ❑ Fire
❑ Municipal Court ❑ Legal ❑ Libtary Z Police ❑ Eng./Public Works ❑ Utilities
City of Paris
Revised 2/04/08
106
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM BRIEFING SHEET
Submittal Date:
11/16/2011
Originating Department:
Presented By:
Agenda Item No.:
Council Date:
12/12/2011
Police
Chief Hundley
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Direction to Staff
POLICY ISSUE(S):
Changing Alert Notification Systems for the city of Paris
BACKGROUND: PAGE TWO
We went through an intensive public awareness campaign regarding the move from CodeRED to
WENS and became operational in March of 2011.
The system seemed to be functional when we first started with the new company but we
immediately started receiving critical feedback from our citizens.
CodeRED used a human voice for the telephone calls while WENS uses a quite creepy sounding
computer generated voice.
The next issue we faced involved the timeliness of our alerts. Severe weather calls were coming to
our telephones as long as thirty minutes after the storm had passed. Other phone call alerts
seemed to go out in a matter of minutes while others were taking two hours to go out. There was
no rhyme or reason
The e-mail and text messaging has no issues, but these messages are prepared by staff and
manually sent over the internet.
Of course we have been in contact with WENS regarding these problems. They are slow to return
phone calls or e-mails and quick to give excuses. I feel they do not have the infrastructure that
CodeRED has to make timely notifications, therefore the lower cost.
It is my opinion that the zeal to save money has handicapped our ability to communicate
emergency information with our citizens in a timely manner.
I have been in contact with the CodeRED people and they still have our databases in their systems.
They have also now added text messaging and e-mail to their service as well. We can go back to
CodeRED for the $15,000.00 for 50,000 minutes a year and receive the first year severe weather
warning for free.
EXHIBITS:
ACTION:
BUDGET INFO:
❑ Financial Report ❑ Minute Order
Expense
❑ Department Report ❑ Resolution
❑ P
Budgeted Amt.
resentation ❑ Ordinance
❑ P
bli
H
i
❑ O
h
yTD Actual
u
c
ear
ng
er
t
Acct. Name
Acct. Number
FISCAL NOTES:
REV[EWED AND APPROVED BY:
~ Administration Z City Clerk ❑ Community Development ❑ EMS/IT ❑ Finance ❑ Fire
❑ Municipal Court ❑ Legal ❑ Library Z Police ❑ Eng./Public Works ❑ Utilities
City of Paris Revised 2/04/08
.107
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM BRIEFING SHEET
Submittal Date:
11/16/2011
Originating Department:
Presented By:
Agenda Item No.:
Council Date:
12/12/2011
Police
Chief Hundley
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Direction to Staff
POLICY ISSUE(S):
Changing Alert Notification Systems for the city of Paris
BACKGROUND: PAGE THREE
I have budgeted $11,000 for the notification system in this year's budget and with the recent sale
of some seized vehicles, I can make up the remaining $4000.00 from the forfeiture fund for this
year's cost.
It is my request that we move back to CodeRED as soon as possible. I have not explored the
possibility of retaining any of the contract money with WENS if we drop them before the
expiration date of our agreement. I have doubts they will refund anything.
I fully realize and understand that we will create some frustration with our citizens by moving
from WENS back to CodeRED. I feel the advantages of knowing how dependable CodeRED was
and what we have experienced with WENS is worth that frustration and criticism to make this
move.
EXHIBITS:
ACTION:
BUDGET INFO:
❑ Financial Report ❑ Minute Order
Expense
❑ Department Report ❑ Resolution
Budgeted Amt.
❑ Presentation ❑ Ordinance
❑ P
bli
H
i
~ O
h
yT'D Actual
u
c
ear
ng
t
er
Acct. Name
Acct. Number
FISCAL NOTES:
REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY:
Z Administration ❑ City Clerk ❑ Community Development ❑ EMS/IT ❑ Finance ❑ Fite
❑ Municipal Court ❑ Legal ❑ Library Z Police ❑ Eng./Public Wotks ❑ Utilities
City of Paris Revised 2/04/08
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