Dean responds to EMA money woes

MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) - A simple phone call during a disaster. That's what Commissioner Mike Dean wants to bring back.

"We used to do it and we had a grant to pay for it. But we don't do it now," said Dean.

The emergency alert system is designed to call people when there is an emergency, like the chemical leak that happened at Millard Refrigerated Services. But people who live near the site never got a call.

"Here we are, living on an atomic bomb, and we don't even know what is going on," said Susan Roberts, who lives nearby.

According to public documents obtained by FOX10, the entire system cost $350,000. Sixty-thousand dollars is paid by the county, $105,000 by the city, and $185,000 by EMA.

But the contract with EMA was canceled in November. So those people who live in the unincorporated areas of Mobile County don't have the service.

EMA leaders said they don't have the money to fund the system. So, Commissioner Dean wants to pass the bill to companies like Millard.

"A little bit goes a long way. It would be a great service for every business or every factory or industry that has hazardous materials to be part of this partnership to notify people," said Dean.

Commissioner Dean even wants to take the service a step further. He wants the system to send text messages in addition to calling people.

But of course that costs money and right now, there is not enough money for the basic system.

However, Dean said his plan should work.

"I'm talking the next 30 days. I want some action," said Dean.

But if a disaster happens before that time, people in unincorporated areas should not expect their phones to ring.

Dean said he is still trying to work out the details of how this system will work.

The emergency sirens do work in all parts of the county, even though it takes about 15 minutes to set those off.