Gas leak prompts reverse 911 call

DOWNEY - The city of Downey's emergency notification system was used last week after a car bumped into an apartment complex gas meter and caused a leak.The problem affected the neighborhood near the intersection of Quill Drive and Old River School Road. Police and fire department resources quickly responded and took emergency action. There was no fire and there were no injuries. The Gas Company was called in to make the appropriate repairs. Fortunately, an evacuation of the neighborhood was not necessary. Traffic on Old River School Road was impacted for a short time. The reverse 911 system is used for emergency and non-emergency notification of businesses and residents. The city utilizes both listed and un-listed numbers to make the notifications. Unfortunately, the city does not have access to cell phone or e-mail addresses for this type of notification. Communications experts believe over 20% of homes no longer utilize the traditional land-line phone system. Residents and business owners who would like to ensure they receive emergency and non-emergency notifications can go the city website (www.downeyca.org) and highlight the 'quick-links' button and look for the Citizen Alert button to sign-up. Those signing up have a number of options for types of communication. The information provided for the reverse 911 system will only be used for city emergency and non-emergency messages. If you have comments or questions regarding the opt-in process for the reverse 911 system, please refer them to ready@downeyca.org.

********** Published: December 2, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 33