Reverse 911 Call System

Who Uses A Reverse 911 Call System?

Reverse 911 is used by various organizations and groups, including:

• Local Police and Fire Departments: To alert residents about local emergencies or safety threats.
• Emergency Management Agencies: To provide information during natural disasters or large-scale emergencies.
• Municipal Governments: To notify citizens about city-wide issues such as water contamination or public health alerts.
• Public Health Departments: To issue warnings about health hazards or disease outbreaks.
• Schools and Universities: To inform students and parents about school closures or campus emergencies.
• Utility Companies: To notify customers about service disruptions or hazards related to utility services.
• Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities: To communicate with staff and patients about emergencies or critical updates.
• Transportation Authorities: To inform passengers about service disruptions or emergency situations affecting transit systems.
• Corporate Security Teams: To alert employees about building evacuations or security threats.
• Environmental Agencies: To warn about environmental hazards such as chemical spills or air quality issues.
• Military Installations: To notify personnel and nearby residents about base emergencies or security alerts.
• Community Organizations: To disseminate information about local incidents or community safety alerts.
• Event Coordinators: To manage crowd safety and inform attendees about emergency procedures during large public events.

These various organizations and groups use Reverse 911 to ensure that important information reaches everyone that needs to be warned, quickly and effectively.

Reverse 911 Call Examples

• Hazardous Material Spill
• Boil Water Advisory
• Lockdown Alert
• Flood Warning
• Amber Alert

Here are five examples of situations where reverse 911 calls might be used:

Hazardous Material Spill

“This is an emergency alert from the City Emergency Services. There has been a hazardous material spill near [location]. Please stay indoors, close all windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems. Avoid the area and await further instructions.”

Boil Water Advisory

“This is an important message from the Public Health Department. A boil water advisory is in effect for your area due to a possible contamination. Please boil all tap water for at least one minute before using it for drinking or cooking until further notice.”

Lockdown Alert

“This is an urgent alert from the Local Police Department. Due to an active shooter situation near [location], a lockdown is in effect. Please stay indoors, lock all doors and windows, and do not open the door to strangers. Follow instructions from law enforcement.”

Flood Warning

“This is an emergency alert from the County Emergency Management Office. A flash flood warning is in effect for your area. Move to higher ground immediately and avoid low-lying areas. Do not attempt to drive through flooded roads.”

Amber Alert

“This is an Amber Alert from the State Police. A child abduction has been reported. The child is described as [description]. Suspect vehicle is a [make, model, color], license plate [number]. If you see this vehicle or have any information, please call 911 immediately.”

Reverse 911 Text Message Examples

• Severe Weather Alert
• Evacuation Notice
• Missing Person Alert
• Public Health Warning
• Utility Outage Notification

In addition to sending out reverse 911 calls, text messages are now a possibility with the newest emergency notification systems. Let’s take a look at a few reverse 911 text message examples below:

Severe Weather Alert

Evacuation Notice

Missing Person Alert

Public Health Warning

Utility Outage Notification

How to Get Subscribers for Your Reverse 911 Service

• Opt-In Forms
• Word of Mouth

Opt-In Forms

Utilize opt-in forms to have people opt into your reverse 911 service. Give people the ability to opt into text messages and/or phone calls from your system. Make sure you let everyone know where they can access the opt-in form on your website.

Word of Mouth

Use word of mouth to let people know that they can opt into your reverse 911 service by visiting your website and filling out the form or by texting a specific keyword to the texting number you receive when you sign up for a DialMyCalls account.

How to Set Up & Send a Reverse 911 Call

• Emergency Phone Number Lists
• Create and Manage Messages to Be Sent
• Send Your Reverse 911 Call, Text, or Email
• Detailed Reporting of Your Reverse 911 Alerts

Now let’s take a look at how you can set up and send out a reverse 911 call, text message and/or email. Follow the steps below from within your DialMyCalls account, which you can sign up for today, to ensure your critical messages reach everyone that needs to be alerted.

Emergency Phone Number Lists

Create your list of phone numbers and email addresses of your reverse 911 subscribers. Utilize the methods listed above to collect opt-ins for your emergency alerts.

Create Contact Groups

Use contact groups to keep people organized into different groups. This way you can send emergency alerts out to specific people, groups or everyone.

Import Emergency Contact Information

Manually add contacts or easily import a whole list from any CSV or Excel file.

Add Optional Emergency Contact Data

The only information you need is the phone number — additional information can be added but is completely optional.

Create and Manage Messages to Be Sent

Create Robust Emergency Recordings

Create messages in seconds by recording over your phone, uploading a sound file, or using our text-to-speech system.

Emergency Prep With Pre-Recorded Alerts

Pre-record messages and have them stored in your account to be used at any time — they will never be removed or deleted.

Emergency Alert SMS Text Messages

Beyond voice messages you can also send out text messages (SMS) with our emergency alert system. Send both phone calls and texts in a serious emergency when you want to ensure your message is received.

Send Your Reverse 911 Call, Text, or Email

Use DialMyCalls to quickly send out a reverse 911 call, text or email by logging in and selecting “New Broadcast”. You are able to send out just a call or select a call, text, and email to all go out at the same time.

Detailed Reporting of Your Reverse 911 Alerts

Quick Broadcast Report Generation

View a detailed report after every broadcast is sent out using your reverse 911 system. Each report will have a detailed overview containing the status of each message that was sent out.

Individual Emergency Contact Analysis

Check each individual contact to ensure they received your emergency broadcast – if any were unsuccessful try one additional time and then reach out to the contact to ensure they have entered their proper information.

Start Your Own Reverse 911 System Today with DialMyCalls

Now that we’ve covered everything there is to know about a reverse 911 system and sending out automated calls for emergencies, get started in creating your own by signing up for a free account today with DialMyCalls.