CONTACT:
Allison Hadley, Public
Information Officer
Phone: (225) 925-3966
FAX: (225) 925-7501
Baton Rouge, LA –
On Wednesday, August 29th,
a voice-recorded message
from Governor Blanco
will be sent out to some
local area residents in Lake
Charles, Lafayette,
Alexandria, Monroe,
Shreveport, Houma, Kenner,
Gonzales, St. Bernard
Parish, and West Feliciana
Parish.
Residential phone lines in
test areas will receive a
voice-recorded message from
the Governor introducing the
new system. Messages on this
system can be used to alert
residents on anything from
tropical weather systems to
evacuation information.
The test will be conducted
by the Governor’s Office of
Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP)
and select Parish Emergency
Operation Centers using the
Integrated Public Alert and
Warning System (IPAWS) that
was enabled on August 1,
2007, as a pilot program.
IPAWS will help provide
critical and timely
information alerts and
warning that will save lives
and property not only to
governmental agencies, but
to the general public,
business, schools and other
groups.
The Deaf Link Accessible
Hazard Alert System, which
is another feature of the
pilot program, will be
tested Wednesday for deaf
and blind residents.
Residents who are deaf
and/or blind can register
online at
www.deaflink.com to
receive emergency alerts
through their e-mail, cell
phones or pagers. Deaf Link
will provide emergency
alerts in American Sign
Language through the
Internet, in English text
and to Braille capable
devices.
FEMA is providing both the
emergency telephone
notification system and the
Deaf Link services free to
the state to throughout
December 2007.
Get Alerts. Stay Alive.
