L&C County cell phones can register for alerts

Lewis and Clark County residents can now register their cellphone numbers to receive emergency notifications from the sheriff,police or fire departments.

Now, cell phone and Voice over Internet Protocol numbers - likethose from Bresnan rather than Qwest - can be included in thesystem, but individuals must add the numbers themselves. They cando this through the Helena Police Department's website.

Individuals can register up to five cell phone and five VoIPnumbers to one address so various household members can receivealerts, but they cannot register a particular number to more thanone address. Because the system is optional, residents areresponsible for changing their addresses or taking their number offthe notification list. 

Stinson, who's in charge of the police department's supportservices division, said the number of Lewis and Clark Countyresidents with landlines continues to drop by about 5,000 a year.He estimated that there are currently about 27,000 landlines and30,000 cell phones, along with a handful of VoIP phones, being usedin the county.

The notification system will leave a message if an answeringmachine picks up and try calling back up to three times if the lineis busy, according to the police department's website. Phonesprogrammed to block out telemarketers or unknown callers will notbe able to receive the alerts.

Though the system generates phone numbers for the use of the cityand county departments, it does not include names with the numbersfor privacy reasons, according to the site.

Lewis and Clark County has used several different emergency alertsystems over the years. It currently works with a company calledIntrado, to which it pays a monthly subscription that amounts tobetween $850 and $900. There are additional usage charges everytime the county sends out an alert and the amount is based on howmany numbers the messages must be sent to. Setting up the interfacenecessary to allow people to register their cell phone numbers costabout $3,000, funded through tax dollars.