Smart ring......
Does your city have smart ring? I understand it's something Homeland Security put in place. I really didn't know BR had it until yesterday. I don't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number/name -- that's what voice mail is for, right? Yesterday I walked into the house from outside just as the phone stopped ringing and the answer machine pick up. The message said it was the EBR Sheriff's Dept and they were looking for a blue Crown Victoria yada yada yada....
It sort of shocked me for a minute because not being aware of the smart ring thingy and owning a blue car (not Crown Vic but I never can remember what model our blue car is), my first thought was that it was a personal message for me. Duh! When the news came on I realized what had happened. A horrible crime took place in one of our parks -- a woman's body was found by park workers along with the body of her son. Two small children (one only a few months old and another around 4 yo) were also found with stab wounds and a slashed throat. Thankfully it appears the two children will survive.
That's why the call. The police were concerned that there were more victims and since children were involve the smart ring system was utilized. Then....at 10:20something last night the system was again used to let everyone know that the alert was over. Apparently, once the initial warning has gone out a followup call must be sent when the danger is over.
And that's the problem of the day down in these parts. Some people were aggravated to get the call so late last night -- thinking when the phone rings after 10 pm it's usually bad news. I understand this but having kids who live in different time zones I'm used to it. I think the consensus so far is that since children were involved it was the right thing to do.
But....it seems that last week calls went out around 3 am to people in specific areas of the parish alerting them that someone was shooting at cars along a highway near them. Some people get up early for work. Some people leave early for travel. So I assume the thinking is that everyone should be alerted asap. Is this something we're going to be living with now? I guess so. Is it a good or a not so good thing? Jury's out just now for me.
posted by ellesu at 6:15 AM
4 Comments:
I've never had that call yet. In NYC it would probably have to be something like a major terrorist threat. I know they used it in California during the fires because my grandfather in law was told when to evacuate that way.
5:38 PM
I, too, received the Smartring calls on the night of May 5, 2008. I really don't want to get them. Whoever is calling should leave opt out instructions at the end of the recording.
I can understand if it were a major city-wide threat such as a chemical plant explosion or terrorism attack...but a homicide??
6:02 PM
To clarify the incedent of the shooting along the highway which was Joor Rd located in East Baton Rouge Parish. It was at the front of a subdivision that had one street leading in and out of it. they had a guy with a gun shooting at passing cars in the area where six vehicles had been shot at and one woman being hit. Knowing that it was getting close to that time of the morning when some are getting up to go to work the Sheriff's office wanted to alert the citizens of the incident which was ongoing for hours. This was done for the protection of the people living in this subdivision. If it had not gone out and someone would have been shot at or even hit then they would have been fussing about why no one alerted them and allowed them to get into the area.
12:57 AM
I'm okay with the smart ring thing -- not that I have a choice. At night I have the ringer turned off on the phone in my bedroom, the door closed, and a fan blowing. I can't hear much of anything. Not very smart maybe but that's the only way I can sleep since I received some very bad news in the wee hours a few years ago.
But....one thing that did break my patience this week were the 225(0000000) calls. I think they started last week and they were calling three time a day. I finally answered Tuedsay and it was a guy with a very thick accent (Indian -- dots not feathers). It must have been from a call center. It was from Mike Walker's campaign. I had actually answered the phone two times earlier in the day (and it was only 2pm) hoping to put a stop to the calls and been hung up on each time. I nicely told the guy how I felt. He apologized. I should have called Walker's office.
5:54 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home