New Notification System to Send Automatic Alerts for the City of O’Fallon

- Technology to Improve Communications with First Responders, Local Residents in Times of Crisis -

O’Fallon, MO – On October 20, 2004, the city of O’Fallon installed a new emergency notification system from DCC (Dialogic Communications Corporation), the nation’s leading provider of critical communications technology. The city will use the industry-renowned software to automatically alert first responders, local residents and other audiences when situations threaten public safety or require immediate attention.

O’Fallon has purchased DCC’s signature solution, The Communicator!, and its powerful GIS (mapping) interface, GeoCast, both of which are used across the country for rapid communication in times of crisis. With the combined technologies, city officials can now send hundreds, or even thousands of voice and/or text messages, complete with event-specific details or potentially life-saving instruction. Local residents will receive word by phone, while first responders are contacted through all available devices (e.g., phone, pager, PDA, etc.). Responses to yes/no questions, estimated times of arrival and other important information are collected in comprehensive reports, documenting the entire notification and response effort.

“Communication is the most important part of effectively responding to any emergency,” said Diana Damke, Crime Analyst. “DCC’s technology allows us to harness the entire notification process, speeding up communications and freeing personnel to focus on the situation. This will ultimately result in faster, more informed decision-making, increased citywide preparedness and an even better coordinated response effort should disaster strike.”

The city of O’Fallon will use The Communicator! and GeoCast to provide information to specific lists of people and/or entire geographic areas for such events as inclement weather, missing persons, terrorist threats and evacuations. Call-outs, activated from a personal computer or by phone, can be routed through the city’s phone lines or to DCC’s state-of-the-art notification center in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside Nashville, ensuring both a primary and back-up means for communication.

“It is clear that public safety is O’Fallon’s top priority,” said Gene Kirby, DCC President. “With this technology in place, they will be ready for any situation, large or small. We are proud they have chosen DCC and we look forward to help strengthen communications between the city and its people.”

DCC’s critical notification technology is used by hundreds of public safety operations across the United States, including law enforcement, emergency management, fire and emergency medical services. The company is best known for its software’s ability to automate even the most complex and broad-reaching of communications. Most notably, DCC’s technology was successfully used during the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, the Northeastern blackout of 2003 and the infamous terrorist attacks of 9/11.