Text alerts considered

Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton is looking into two text messaging systems that could help keep track of first responders and alert residents in the event of emergencies.

Newton informed the Jay County Commissioners Monday about two systems, IamResponding.com and Nixle, which, if implemented, would be covered by money from the jail's commissary fund.

That fund is from purchases made by jail inmates.

"The one I'm looking at for the fire departments, police ... we'll have software for this and we'll be able to text them and they can let us know if they're responding," he said of IamResponding.

The system would allow first responders to quickly message the department to let it know if they are responding to a page. IamResponding would also allow departments to mass-text their employees with important information.

The IamResponding system has a free two-month trial before a commitment needs to be made. Newton said he's still checking into it, but hopes to have it implemented within weeks. The estimated maximum cost is about $800 annually.

The second system, Nixle, would serve as a community text service, where the sheriff's department could issue alerts for emergencies such as severe weather warnings.

"It could be for anything that's an emergency," he said. "Whoever wants to register for it can go online. We just won't pick out the phones, they'll have to call in so they can get this."

Newton said the system would "hopefully be here in the next several months," but was still checking into Nixle's costs and features.

Newton noted that any money being spent for equipment or service fees would be raised through the jail's commissary and would not be paid for with taxpayer money.

In other business Monday, the commissioners:

•Informed Bob Brown of Barnum and Brown Insurance, Dunkirk, that the county would not add Roster Volunteer Coverage to its current workman's compensation policy.

The coverage would require the county to maintain a detailed roster of all volunteers at events. The introductory package would only cover up to 20 volunteers.

•Reviewed rights-of-way agreements for Bridge No. 54. Taxpayers agreed to the following: Mike and Lana Ninde, $1,100, Thomas Ninde, $200, Bloomfield Cemetery $700 and Menno Coblentz, $27,300. Bridge No. 54 is located on county road 500 North, about one quarter mile east of U.S. 27.

•Signed emergency claims to pay for a new dump truck and equipment for the highway department. The commissioners signed two checks, $24,370 to Northern Equipment and $85,891 to Selking International.[[In-content Ad]]