City of Du Quoin Setting Up e-Alerts System

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The recent boil order in the City of Du Quoin made one thing clear - there exists a need to improve the notification for such events to city water department customers and citizens in general. One solution to that challenge might be found in the smarter use of technology in advising citizens of unfolding situations of community interest.

One solution is already underway and another is being explored. First is a city-generated email advisory system is being developed that would permit the city to send out one email to a group. That "group" would consist of water customers and other citizens who would want to voluntarily submit their email addresses to the Du Quoin City Clerk's office. High school intern Mackenzie Hooker is heading up the project and is already receiving email addresses. Inclusion in the group would provide users with quick and accurate information on boil orders and other city-related situations.

That notification system would consist of an email sent out that would notify water system customers of active boil orders. Some of those emails might refer to a boil order confined to a specific area of the city. Occasionally, as happened last week, the email notification system might inform customers of a city-wide boil order. That same system could also be used to notify customers that boil orders have been lifted.

The system might be useful for other issues, including burn ban notifications under high wind conditions. Emailing on the system would be closed to anyone but city employees with password-only access. Citizens interested in contacting the City Clerk's office about including their email addresses in the system can do so by calling 542-3841 or emailing name and email address to intern@duquoin.org.

Another project underway is to permit quicker additions to the Du Quoin municipal website at www.duquoin.org. City officials are working with webmaster Steve Quinn to provide some degree of access to the website by which city officials could provide up-to-date information quickly on the city website. Notifications could include boil orders and lifted boil orders, and other information of city-wide interest.

Du Quoin water commissioner Rex Duncan said the systems are being developed to take advantage of existing technology and also to provide water customers with quicker access to correct information. "I was getting calls at home over the weekend about the status of the boil order and I didn't know what was going on. We knew there had to be a better way." Duncan said. "I really appreciate Mackenzie's willingness to take this project on. It will be a big help to a lot of people."

The city will continue to use the other means of notification. Duncan commended those organizations and businesses who have helped get word out over the years. "Community-minded businesses like the Du Quoin Evening Call, WDQN, and area TV stations have been wonderful partners in getting important information out to our citizens and customers." Duncan said. "As long as they are willing, we will continue to ask them to keep the people of Du Quoin fully aware of what's going on."

For more information about the project, contact Du Quoin City Clerk Blaine Bastien by calling 618.542.3841.