Bullitt warning system in place for storms

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 4:57 PM EST

By-Bill Alexander, Fox 41 News balexander@Fox41.com

BULLITT COUNTY, KY. (WDRB Fox 41) -- The storms have come and gone, and Bullitt County Emergency Management teams are thankful for a newly installed system to help keep residents safe. Tuesday that system was activated and worked without any problems. People were quickly notified about heavy rain and tornado warnings.

They call it WENS -- Wireless Emergency Notification System. Notifications were sent out via e-mail, cell phones, text messaging, and land lines. 300 people have signed up for the cell phone text messaging and 27,000 are loaded for the land lines. The plan is to eventually get the majority of the county signed up.

This is not only a useful tool for severe weather, but the system will also be put to good use during other dangerous situations. Things like school lockdowns, hazardous materials spills and boil water advisories.

Bullitt County recently received a grant from FEMA to help pay for the $42,000 system.