A matter of time

Connect-CTY notification system quickly gets messages out to citizens

By Jason King
Assistant Communications Director

County officials have struggled for years trying to find the most effective way to mass communicate messages to citizens. The newest NCACC service partner – Connect-CTY – has the answer to that problem.

With one phone call, Connect-CTY allows county leaders to send a personalized voice message to thousands of citizens or county staff within minutes. Counties that use the service avoid the headache and cost associated with purchasing and maintaining hardware, software and additional phone lines.

The service is more than a “reverse 911” system used by emergency based county departments. By virtue of being an unlimited use program – counties are not charged by the minute for usage – Connect-CTY can be used by any county department that wants to communicate a message to constituents.

For instance, public works officials can quickly and effectively transmit a phone call to their entire or partial customer base when there is a water main break or flushing scheduled. Parks and recreation officials can call constituents and staff with meeting reminders. Health officials can send notices of flu clinics. Utility departments can alert citizens when tree trimming around power lines will be performed.

The uses are vast, and with an unlimited use program, there is no reason not to use the system.

“We have used this service on several occasions to alert our citizens of emergency situations,” said Iredell County Assistant Manager Tracy Jackson. “Our citizens recognize and appreciate the increased emergency communications that we now have available.”

Iredell put the system to use in June. After a local church held a puppy adoption, one of the remaining puppies was discovered to have rabies. With no record of who had adopted the other puppies who had come in contact with the infected puppy, county personnel decided to utilize Connect-CTY to alert 58,000 households in the surrounding area of the situation.

The system can also be used on a smaller scale. Iredell’s Animal Control Department uses Connect-CTY to remind pet owners of appointments to have their dogs or cats spayed or neutered.

The system is, of course, used effectively during emergency situations.

While there is a cost for the service, counties realize savings on other forms of communication, such as postage and printing costs for mailings and flyers, and also boost staff productivity.

For more information on Connect-CTY, visit www.nticonnectcty.com, or contact NCACC Member Services Director Ed Wooters at (919) 715-0705 (office), (919) 906-9880 (cell), or by e-mail at ed.wooters@ncacc.org.