OUR COUNTY
D. GARY DAVIS
COUNTY MAYOR
Get Instant Bradley County Emergency Alerts – Follow Us on Twitter!
The recent storms, heavy rains and flooding in nearby counties have served to remind me that one of the chief responsibilities of government is to keep its citizens safe. Bradley County is blessed with a highly skilled group of first responders in the Sheriff’s Department, Emergency Management Agency, Bradley County Fire and Rescue Department and Cleveland Police and Fire Departments.
These men and women often put themselves in harms way, running toward the danger, as they did last week when we received a request for mutual aid from Hamilton County during the heavy flooding in East Ridge. as demonstrated by the mutual aid request from Hamilton County during the heavy flooding in East Ridge last week. Bradley County Fire and Rescue and Bradley County EMA responded with about 20 personnel and 3 boats. They rescued or evacuated about 200 people and were unselfish in their effort to ensure everyone’s safety. I commend EMA Director Troy Spence and BCFR Chief Dewey Woody and their crew for their dedication to the creed of “Protect and Serve.”
The threat of flooding, tornados, earthquakes and other potential emergency situations make it necessary for us to continually look at more efficient ways to alert our citizens in the event of impending disasters. Some of these new hi-tech first alert systems cost thousands of dollars a year. However, I am proud to announce that the Bradley County Emergency Management Agency has launched a free public information service through the increasingly popular social networking website, Twitter (www.twitter.com).
This Twitter information service allows any Bradley County citizen who has a computer or cell phone to receive emergency notifications, weather bulletins, and other updates when the county is placed in an emergency situation. The Alert will be posted on the EMA’s dedicated Twitter page (www.twitter.com/cbcema), and linked to the Bradley County Government’s website (www.bradleyco.net).
The Bradley County Emergency Management Agency’s web site allows you to review at a glance the latest EMA postings. You can also subscribe to receive future updates via e-mail or text messages sent to your cell phone. It is easy, accessible, and most importantly free to the taxpayers of Bradley County. I urge you to visit the EMA web site and subscribe to this free Twitter service. You will then be the first to know when an emergency alert is issued for Bradley County.
EMA Director Troy Spence and his staff have developed this service as the first step in a broader, more robust, reverse 911 system. Eventually it can include not only e-mail and text message notification, but also customized and automated telephone calls to notify the general public of impending emergency situations.
It is an ambitious project which can handle unique situations such as letting the north-east section of our county know if a tornado warning, which only applies to their area, is in effect. It could notify the parents of school students that classes will be cancelled early due to an emergency at their child’s school.
I would like to commend the EMA for their hard work and continuing effort to provide better, faster information to the public. Director Troy Spence and his staff provide comprehensive emergency response, hazard planning, and disaster relief to Bradley County. They can be reached at 423-728-7289, or through the county government website at www.bradleyco.net.
The County and City emergency responders are another of the many reason why I like to say Bradley County is Tennessee at its best.