Assessing reverse 911®: a case study of the 2007 San Diego wildfires

Area of Science:

• Emergency Management
• Public Health Communication
• Disaster Response Technology

Background:

• Wildfires in San Diego County in October 2007 necessitated large-scale evacuations.
• The Sheriff's Department implemented the Reverse 911® emergency notification system in 2005.
• This system was utilized during the 2007 wildfire event to contact residents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of the Reverse 911® system in emergency communication.
• To assess the role of Reverse 911® in warning residents during a major wildfire event.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 1,210 residents evacuated due to the wildfires.
• Data was collected on the methods residents used to receive emergency warnings.
• Analysis focused on the proportion of residents first alerted by Reverse 911® calls.

Main Results:

• Reverse 911® made 394,915 calls by the midday following the wildfire's peak.
• 42% of surveyed respondents received their primary warning from a Reverse 911® call.
• An additional 7% received a Reverse 911® call, though not as their initial warning.

Conclusions:

• The Reverse 911® system played a significant role in disseminating emergency warnings during the San Diego wildfires.
• The technology proved to be a crucial, though not exclusive, method for alerting residents to immediate danger.
• Findings support the continued use and evaluation of such mass notification systems in disaster preparedness.