Arlington citizen corps Council

Citizen Corps Council
Recommendations on Public Emergency Communications
Adopted October 2, 2003

The following recommendations of the Arlington County Citizen Corps Council were unanimously adopted by the Council’s Coordinating Committee on October 2, 2003. These recommendations are based on the recommendations and reports of the Council’s Public Emergency Communication Task Group. The following materials by the Public Emergency Task Group are appended to these recommendations: PEC Task Group Table of Recommendations; PEC Task Group Letter, August 18, 2003; PEC Task Group letter, a Siren-Based Public Emergency Warning System, August 28, 2003; PEC Task Group letter, September 7, 2003

1. The CCC recommends that the County implement a “suite of systems” that places a priority for earliest implementation on the following systems identified by the “top tier” of the Public Emergency Communications Task Group matrix as systems to be adopted without delay to effect the most benefit to residents:
1)	Advanced Reverse 911 with FAX Blast. 
2)	Advanced Technology Siren System. 
3)	Acquisition And Licensing Of An Arlington County (Only) Radio Station For Emergency Information.  
4)	Expanded Arlington Community Alert System (RSAN) Participation with No-Charge Emergency Messaging.  
5)	Subsidized or Free Emergency Pagers for Low or Fixed Income Hearing Impaired.  

2. The CCC recommends that, following implementation of the matrix “top tier” systems outlined in recommendation #1, the County implement the following five systems as soon as funding and other considerations permit.  

1)	Improvements to the Emergency Alert System 
2)	Expanded Call Center (CrisisLink) 
3)	Bulk Purchased Preprogrammed NOAA Radios 
4)	NOAA Radios Required In Arlington Businesses and New Construction.  

3. The CCC recommends that the County implement the following actions if additional funding becomes available after the other recommendations listed above are acted on. 
Subsidized or Free NOAA weather radios.  
211 Information Service

4. The CCC recommends that the County support national development of the following systems and consider implementation of these systems if they become available. 
1)	Global Ring.  
2)	Ringing Selective Cellular Telephone Cell areas

5. The CCC recommends that the County advocate the adoption of a regional strategy that supports regional standards for a “system of systems” and which permits local level selection of the specific systems that meet the regional standards most effectively and efficiently for each local area.