I just received notice that the Region of Halton will be testing its Community Emergency Notification System (CEMS) on December 6th between the hours of 6:30 and 8:30 PM.
This service allows emergency personnel such as health or police services to send important information to residents (ie boil water advisories, evacuations, etc) The test for all municipalities in Halton is scheduled for Thursday December 6th and the area identified in Milton for the test is Ward 1.
Here is a copy of the map.
Here is a copy of the letter to Milton residents:
Dear Resident:
On Thursday, December 6, between 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., you may receive an automated telephone call from Halton Region and the Town of Milton as part of our Community Emergency Notification Service (CENS). Please help us evaluate the service by picking up, listening to the call and confirming receipt of the call by pressing 1.
If you receive the call, when you answer you will hear the following recorded message:
“Hello. This is a public safety test message from Halton Region and the Town of Milton. This is a test of the Community Emergency Notification Service. Once again, this is just a test. There is no emergency. During a real emergency, this service would provide further instructions. If you have any questions, please contact Access Halton by dialing 311. Please press 1 now to confirm receipt of this test message. Thank you for your cooperation.”
No further action is required. If you do not answer and have an answering service, a message will be left for you.
The Community Emergency Notification Service is an automated telephone call-out service that allows emergency personnel such as police or fire officials to send important information to residents in case of a real emergency. During an actual emergency, CENS would be used together with other methods of notification, such as radio, television, web or emergency personnel going door to door.
“Halton Region’s Emergency Management Program works to enhance the safety of residents,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Halton works with police, Local Municipalities, fire departments, Emergency Medical Services and other community partners and agencies to ensure that Halton is prepared to deal with emergency situations.”
For more information, visit www.halton.ca/beprepared.
If you have questions about the CENS test on December 6, please dial 311. You may also receive a follow-up telephone call from Halton Region asking for your feedback about the test.
A copy of the News Release can be found here and a copy of the FAQ here.
This will be just a test and nothing else will be required of you. If you live in the area, please let your friends and neighbours know. I will be posting this information on a regular basis on my Twitter and Facebook as well.
The Region of Halton thanks you in advance for your participation and cooperation.