Like its predecessor, GeoCast®Web™ is an emergency warning tool that will be used to provide rapid phone notifications to people in situations when public safety may be at risk. It will only be used during emergencies, such as chemical spills or hazardous materials incidents, fire or flooding evacuation scenarios, and drinking water contamination.

“Ensuring timely and adequate warning to the public during times of potential or imminent danger is one of the more important jobs we have as emergency managers,” said Kenny Shaw Director of Dallas OEM. “We are always looking for ways to improve risk communications to Dallas residents and businesses,” added Shaw, “and GeoCast provides us with enhanced warning capability…in an efficient, reputable and effective manner.”

Used by hundreds of public safety agencies nationwide, the GeoCast®Web™ system combines highly advanced digital mapping technologies with phone databases to automatically call people in precisely targeted locations. All landline phone numbers within Dallas city limits are already included in the GeoCast®Web™ system however, cell phones are not. Registration is required to receive GeoCast®Web™ notifications on cell phones.

Individuals may register for these notifications via the City of Dallas OEM’s website, www.dallascityhall.com/oem, or directly through the system’s self-registration web portal, located at https://cityofdallas.onthealert.com. Also, hard copy registration forms can be found at City libraries, City Park & Recreation facilities and at City police and fire stations. It is important to note that people who have already registered with the previous system (REVERSE 911®) are already included in this new system (GeoCast®Web™).

While the City of Dallas offers this emergency notification service free of charge, minutes may be deducted from individual cell phone plans. Calls will typically be less than two minutes.

“Even though we have the new GeoCast®Web™ emergency phone notification system, we still want to remind everyone that no single tool will provide enough warning to all people in all situations,” added Shaw. “While this new system may give us emergency officials greater capabilities, it is only one component of the overall public safety communications strategy. During emergencies, people should always seek out information from as many reliable sources as possible.”

More information about the GeoCast®Web™ emergency notification system, including an informational flyer and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), are available for download from Dallas OEM’s website, located at www.dallascityhall.com/oem.

I thought we had gotten past the “mentally challenged individual” that is targeting a few households on Stone Trail for the last several months, but I received word today that he is still out there.

Since March 2011, he has come by about every 4 or 5 weeks. However, during the recent Holidays, he was on Stone Trail and left objects 4 times in a 10 day period.

Both the Dallas Police and First Watch are well aware of this situation. In fact, we have been instructed by the Dallas Police to call 911 each time that an incident occurs. On one occasion, the man exhibited violent behavior by ripping the First Watch and alarm company signs out of another neighbor’s yard as witnessed by another neighbor. Fortunately, most of the incidents have been the harmless leaving of very random objects on our porch or forcing them through our mailbox (which is next to our front door), such as: a list of ZZ top songs; a list of attorneys that purportedly represented TWA (which has been out of business for over 10 years) and a comb; a large box containing trash bags, ½ box of band-aids, combs, towels, and fungus spray; a large box with combs, towels, a power strip, and soap; and a large box containing plastic folders and guitar picks.

He usually comes by between 4:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. He has no connection to the neighborhood as nothing that he has left references any member of our family or anything connected to us.

Bottom line – We need the license plate number of this man’s car. The Dallas Police have agreed to run the license plate number if we can provide it to them.  I have also suggested trying to lift some fingerprints off of the “bonanza of treats” since that might trace it back to a specific individual — mom might own the car but sonny boy has gotten the spare set of keys with mom knowing it.

The man drives a teal 4-door Honda Accord. He is a white male, about 30 years of age and heavy (about 250 lbs) with wild light brown hair.

Please be on the lookout for a car matching this description. If anyone gets the license plate number, please let us know.

Following the lead of cities like San Francisco, Austin, New York and Richmond, the City of Dallas has created an official task force, the Dallas Companion Animal Project (Dallas CAP), charged with developing a blueprint for ending the killing of adoptable animals.

“Our goal is to guide the community in identifying and increasing easily accessible programs that will allow us to stop the killing of healthy, treatable companion animals,” said Rebecca Poling, chair of the task force and a member of the Animal Shelter Commission.

To do that, Dallas CAP will focus on getting the community more involved on all levels:  reducing the number of animals given up and abandoned by their owners; making it easier and more affordable for owners to spay and neuter their pets; increasing the number of stray and loose animals returned to their owners; offering options to people considering giving up their pets; and increasing the number of animals adopted and those transferred to other shelters and humane organizations.    

This past year, 20,684 dogs and cats—or 75 percent of the 28,392 companion animals that ended up in the City’s shelter—were put to death simply because there weren’t enough homes for them. 

“Ending the killing of adoptable animals is not about any one shelter becoming no kill,” said Poling.  “It’s about the entire community coming together and embracing all the components of a successful plan:  spay/neuter, education, adoption and rescue, owner retention, behavior hotlines, responsible pet ownership.  

“No single agency or organization can possibly be responsible for all the components necessary to make Dallas no kill.  We’re looking for individuals, businesses, corporations, associations, nonprofits, advocacy groups and animal-welfare organizations willing to be a part of this effort by lending their names and encouraging others to do the same.”

The City of Dallas is ready to make the move towards no kill said Joey Zapata, Interim Assistant City Manager.  “We have a new Mayor who firmly believes that Dallas should have the goal of becoming no kill; a City Council committed to supporting the task force; and a new shelter manager, Jody Jones, who played a leading role in making Richmond, VA, a no-kill community.”

Jones knows from her experience in Richmond that in addition to saving lives, reducing euthanasia rates community-wide would have other benefits as well.

“Working together to develop a successful no-kill plan will engage the community in the welfare of our animals and make Dallas a more pet-friendly place to live,” said Jones.  “It will save taxpayer dollars and result in a more educated and informed public.  It also will encourage private/public partnerships, and, most important, it will improve the quality of life for companion animals and people in the City of Dallas.”

For more information about the Dallas Companion Animal Project or to get involved, email dallascompanionanimalproject@gmail.com or visit www.DallasCompanionAnimalProject.org.  Find Dallas Companion Animal Project on Facebook or follow on Twitter @DallasAnimals.  

Several of you have inquired about the fall plant sale, so here is the order form that you have patiently waited for.  Remember, this is one of two annual sales we have that fund super fun events like the fall chili cookoff. 

Thanks,

Keith Kinney