Nov.
26th
Reverse-911 a powerful tool – if used correctly
This editorial will appear in Friday’s print edition.
The late-night and early-morning robo-calls that annoyed and frightened some Lakewood residents last week are rightfully prompting emergency planners to refine the county’s fledgling reverse-911 call system.
The system sent automated pleas for help to about 11,000 Lakewood homes at about 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 and at 6 a.m. the following day.
The calls were initiated by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, which was trying to assist the Lakewood police in finding a missing 50-year-old man.
The calls rattled some Lakewood residents, as hearing the phone ring at 11:30 p.m. often does. Calls at that hour of the night usually don’t bring good news. Other residents were just plain irked by the following day’s wake-up call.