Despite taking some heat for the reverse 9-1-1 calls before the large storms at the beginning of the month, officials still encourage people to sign up their phones to receive the calls.

The reverse 9-1-1 system in Mono County, had been used to send out information to people in the Walker/Coleville area during the Larsen Fire last year, but this was the first time homes in Mammoth received the calls. Some people said they thought the reverse 9-1-1 calls were a good thing, others thought that the calls spurred residents to panic. People planning to stock up before the storm led to a rush on the Mammoth Vons as well as the gas stations.

People leaving town and not coming to town over that stormy weekend lead to what Mammoth Chamber President Eric Wasserman said could add up to $5 million in lost income for local businesses.

Government and Chamber members have since met to figure out how to prepare people for storms again in the future. Some suggestions include follow up calls after the first phone call, or calls to the gas stations and stores to warn them first. Details have not been worked out, but the reverse 9-1-1 system will be used again if needed.

In the weekly town managers report, Mammoth Mayor Skip Harvey encourages people to sign up their homes and cell phones to receive the reverse 9-1-1 calls in the future. To sign up for the system, go to the mono county sheriff website at monosheriff.org.

 

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