An Emergency Alert System for Medford

     The City of Philadelphia has "ReadyNotifyPA" (which, according to the website)  "helps officials send emergency text alerts and other important notifications to you quickly. Alerts can be sent to your cell phone, pager, BlackBerry, PDA and/or E-mail account. You decide how you’d like to be notified. These alerts are free; however, your cellular provider may charge for text messaging."

      What communication system does Medford, Massachusetts have in place for snow emergencies, serious traffic situations, or -  please respect the context here - some kind of assault or attack on residents or on our city itself?

      I've spoken briefly with the City's director of budget and personnel, Stephanie Muccini Burke, about an AM radio station that broadcasts on expanded band - between 1600 AM and 1700 AM.  If you note while driving down Route 93 there is a sign that says "Traffic information on AM 1700". This type of broadcast will have limitations but with some tech-savvy geeks out there, we may come up with a Part 15 FCC radio station (which doesn't need a license) which truly serves Medford, especially in time of an emergency. Especially for those without cellphones, the internet or cable TV.   

     What I'm proposing is a complete media center utilizing Verizon's "contiguous channels", Comcast's Project Open Voice / Made In Medford, the internet and possibly AM radio so that there are multiple sources of immediate informationt hat residents can tune in to.

     Residents of Lubbock Texas can now sign up for free e-mail and text alerts "directly from the Lubbock Police Department to be notified of the latest
emergency situations in their neighborhoods."

     What does Medford have other than Reverse 911?

     Reverse 911 is, according to Wikipedia,  "used by public safety organizations in Canada and the United States to communicate with groups of people in a defined geographic area."    In Medford Sgt. Barry Clemente has called households for everything from the bridge repairs in 2011 to Waste Management.  City Councilors brought up the use of Reverse 911 in regards to what was alleged to be non-emergency situations the Mayor allegedly wanted broadcast on that system.    I will be filing a Public Records Request to find out how expensive those Reverse 911 calls are, and how many calls were made in 2011 and 2012.  The citizens have a right to know what they are paying for and if they are getting their value for every dollar spent.

    There are over 700 people on the Medford Mass Yahoogroup and 6,342 people on the Medford Mass. Facebook page, which is more than 10% of the community  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Medford-MA/92222392767  but - even with word-of-mouth after people find information from those sources - the limitations are just so obvious.  The internet still doesn't have a "beacon" which can reach just about every home in a flash, like the "Emergency Alert System" (formerly called - from 1963-1999 - the Emergency Broadcast System) radio and TV are prepared to use in times of need.

     A community media center is actually a public safety issue.  P/E/G access - Public, Educational, Governmental - can be the foundation through which online broadcasts, AM radio broadcasts for those without internet or cable, text alerts and other innovative ways of getting instant emergency flashes out to the citizens of Medford can become a reality.

     On Tuesday, July 24, 2012 I alerted City Hall to the fact that the Verizon Access channels need to be put out to "bid".   Verizon signed an Agreement with the Mayor on or about February 3, 2012 at Medford High School with a promise that local P/E/G channels would be broadcasting within 180 days.   That's an absurd amount of time - six months - with something that should have been immediate.   July 26th is 173 days since Verizon promised to have access TV up and running on its system.   One week left to hold them to that promise...their promise.

     Medford has serious problems that need to be addressed.  Along with entertainment we need to also focus on the issues at hand and getting solid information out to the citizens in this community. We can utilize access stations on the Verizon contiguous channels - Malden, Melrose, Wakefield, Hudson, Stoneham (I'm a member at both Wakefield and Stoneham) and we can further explore the "on demand" system offered by Comcast and its Project Open Voice Made in Medford.

     Medford needs a voice.  Medford needs an emergency alert system.  Medford has many talented individuals who know media, who know much about broadcasting, and who would fit well in a brand new media center.

      We need a new DPW, a new police station, a new firehouse.  A Community Media Center can bring discussion of these issues to the public in an effective, adult and professional way.

      For those who want to discuss this further with me my e mail is joeviglione[@] yahoo.com