Grady County officials announced today the county has selected the Connect-CTY mass notification service from Blackboard Connect Inc. The county will conduct its first community-wide test call on Thursday, June 12.

Grady County has implemented the Connect-CTY service to provide county officials the ability to communicate with residents regarding time-sensitive incidents, which may include planned and unforeseen public safety matters.

The Connect-CTY service allows officials to record, send and track personalized voice messages to thousands of residents, businesses, and local agencies in just minutes, through a single phone call. The county can also send text messages to cell phones, PDAs, e-mail accounts, and TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired. The service requires no additional hardware; it can be used from any computer with Internet access or just a telephone, ensuring that officials can send vital messages from wherever they are located.

“We needed a quick, orderly method to notify residents in the event of an unforeseen incident or safety matter,” said Kieran McMullen, Sheriff of Grady County. “Should a need arise, such as a chemical fire or tornado, the Connect-CTY service will enable us to notify residents quickly.”

County administrators can target messages to an unlimited number of groups – everything from mobilizing emergency response teams to coordinating efforts with necessary agencies or volunteers. Authorized users also can use a map on the Connect-CTY system to contact specific geographical locations, sending messages only to the residents within select neighborhoods when needed.

“It’s of utmost importance for residents to add their contact information into the system’s database so that they are prepared to receive vital notifications at any given time,” McMullen said.

Publicly available primary residential and business phone numbers in Grady County will automatically be included in the system. However, residents can opt-in to provide their complete information (up to three phone numbers and two e-mail addresses) and indicate if they have a TTY/TDD device by visiting the Grady County Sheriff’s Office’s Web site (www.gradycosheriff.com) and clicking on the link that says “SIGN UP NOW – SERVICES BY Connect-CTY” to enter their information into the secure database. Those without Internet access can have their information added into the system by calling (405) 222-1000. Residents with call blocking services can make sure to receive the county’s time-sensitive calls