CONTACT:
Allison Hadley, Public Information Officer
Phone: (225) 925-3966
FAX: (225) 925-7501

Baton Rouge, LA – On Wednesday, August 29^th, a voice-recorded message from Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco was sent out to local area residents in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Alexandria, Monroe, Shreveport, Houma, Kenner, Gonzales, St. Bernard and West Feliciana Parish.

Residential phone lines throughout these local areas received a voice-recorded message from Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco introducing the State’s new emergency alert system. These land lines were randomly picked by the home numbers listed within the area. The overall test result provided a 72 percent call out success rate.

 “The test was very successful in the number of live answers and answering machine pickups” said Col. Jeff Perry Smith, Acting Director for GOHSEP, “The capability that the Emergency Telephone Notification (ETN) system has to reach citizen directly will be a tremendous benefit during emergency situations.” “This system allows us to speak directly to our citizens and provide timely, accurate information during an emergency” said Smith.

Individuals can also sign up for emergency alerts by visiting the GOHSEP webpage at www.ohsep.louisiana.gov.

Here is an easy, step-by-step process:

• Visit http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/
• Click on the “Alert Sense” banner on the right side of the homepage
• Provide your email and zip code
  • Providing your name is optional
  • All personal information will be kept strictly confidential

• Indicate alerts you would like to receive by selecting from a list of weather and non-weather related options
  • This allows you to receive alert information direct to your email address.

• To receive alerts via text message, provide your cell phone or other personal communications devices, and the name of your service provider
  • Signing up for the alerts is free. Depending on the terms of your contract with your service provider, you may incur charges for receiving text messages
• Read the “Terms of Use” and if you are in agreement, check the box that says, “I accept the Terms of Use”

• Click on the “Sign Me Up” button
  • If you decide that you would like to stop receiving emergency alerts on your cell phone or other personal communications devices, simply return to the www.mystateusa.com website, go to the “AlertSense” page and click on “Unsubscribe Me”

IPAWS is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Louisiana is a part of the pilot program that has also been launched in Mississippi and Alabama until December 2007.  The pilot program provides Louisiana with 100,000 minutes per month for the Emergency Telephone Notification (ETN). If the State does not use all of the 100,000 minutes per month these minutes can be used for testing purposes.

Get Alerts. Stay Alive.