My house phone just rang, and though my first inclination was to hang up when I realized that it was an automated recording, thoughts brought about by this class prompted me to stay on the line. Because the caller ID said “Emergency contact”, I felt compelled to answer in case perhaps something had happened to a family member, but the message delivered by the recording was very interesting, especially due to our discussions involving IT.
Though I was assured that “there is no emergency at this time”, the recording told me that the Plymouth Country Sheriff’s Department was testing out it’s new emergency contact system that is used whenever there is an issue in my area (the South Shore). The message directed me to the Sheriff’s Department’s website, where I was told I could register my mobile device for CodeRED updates from the department, in addition to following them on Twitter.
It reminded me that public safety, which is always a top concern for citizens everywhere, is now becoming more reliant on IT. The biggest example of this could perhaps be the “Amber Alerts” put out by law-enforcement in relation to child abductions, which we see very often on the news and oddly enough, the highway. So many times I can remember driving and noticing the giant electronic boards that are sometimes used for informing drivers of road work, instead issuing out Amber Alerts. Similarly, UMass Amherst instituted a program much like the Plymouth Country Sheriff’s Department while I attended there as an undergrad, though it was not relegated just towards safety but also for major announcements involving the university, weather related issues, etc.
With my town recently being put under the microscope due to a tragic murder not far from my home, it is somewhat soothing to know that steps are being taken in every aspect to try and improve the safety of residents on the South Shore.
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