What is “Rapid Alert”?

An automated notification system used to alert citizens in the event of an emergency. This is a region-wide system hosted by the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) available to each police department and fire department in Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties.

How is it being funded?

The system’s sophisticated hard and software, along with the required training and first year of operating expenses, are coming from a $660,000 grant from the State Executive Office of Public Safety and Security through the Department of Homeland Security Grant Funding Initiative. Annual operating expenses of the system beyond the first year grant period are estimated to be $50,000 and will be supported by the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office.

 

How does Rapid Alert work?

The Rapid Alert System utilizes mapping software which enables a user to contact a specific geographic area. Once the area has been selected, a voice recording is taken containing the public safety message to be delivered to areas homes and businesses. A 15-second message would reach almost 9,000 phone numbers every hour.

Do the calls go out to a lot of homes or only a few?

Both are options depending on the message. It could go out to an entire Cape directory (virtually all business and residential listings), to a cluster of towns affected by a particular emergency, or to individual towns. Calls can even be limited to a single street or a single home if casting a net that narrow would suffice.

 

What kind of messages would go out?

There are numerous scenarios that could be used in emergency situations such as:

1. Missing Person

2. Evacuations

3. Fugitive Alerts

4. Security or Terrorist Threats

5. Road Closures Due to Major Traffic Incidents

6. Severe Weather Alerts

 

Who authorizes an activation in my town?

Police and fire departments in each town across the Cape and Islands have the ability to request an activation for their individual town. Authorized representatives from each police and fire department determine when a message merits activation, how to word it, and how wide to cast the calls within their own community. This information is then communicated to personnel at the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office who execute the details. The BCSO has trained personnel who can active a call-out available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

Why does the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office operate the Rapid Alert System?

The Sheriff’s Office offered to host this program to provide a regional solution to alerting residents on the Cape and Islands when there is a public safety situation. Start-up and operating expenses for a system this sophisticated are high, and expecting each town to pay for its own version is hardly cost effective. Rapid Alert, on the other hand, is free to all call recipients.

 

Who will be called?

The Rapid Alert System utilizes a county-wide 911 phone database that includes all listed and unlisted residential and business phone numbers.

 

What if I have a cell phone?

Any resident of the Cape and Islands can request to add their cell phone number to the Rapid Alert System by completing a “ Citizen Cell Phone Authorization Form”. Click here to download form...

You can also call the Rapid Alert update line at: 508-563-4479. Phone number updates are completed on a quarterly basis. This means that although you may have submitted your phone number, it will not be added to the system until the next quarterly update is due. Once added, you will remain on the list unless, or until you decide to opt out.

 

Is this a protected phone list?

Yes. All numbers in the Rapid Alert System are kept strictly confidential and calls placed solely for emergency and public safety notifications.

 

Other Questions?

Email: RASInfo@bsheriff.net

Call: 508-563-4479

 

 

Sheriff James M. Cummings
Barnstable County Sheriff's Office
6000 Sheriff's Place, Bourne, MA 02532

 

Phone: 508-563-4300 | Fax: 508-563-4574 | Email: bcso@bsheriff.net