How the Public will be alerted of a Major Emergency or Disaster:
If a situation or event becomes a potential threat to our residents and visitors, the public will be alerted by one (or several) of the following methods, as appropriate:
- Delaware Emergency Notification System - The primary system for public warning and emergency protective action information will be the Delaware Emergency Notification System (DENS). DENS serves the entire state and is fully operational for residents and businesses that have listed telephone numbers. The DENS allows emergency voice messages to be delivered to a person answering the phone or to an answering machine. It also bypasses "zapper" type phone devices that stop incoming computer-generated calls often used by telemarketers. In addition to the State Emergency Operations Center and the Delaware State Police Communications Center in Smyrna, activating points for the DENS include the primary emergency 911 Centers in each county and Wilmington and the Division of Public Health. When the DENS system is activated, only 300 phone numbers can be dialed within one minute. DENS can provide emergency notification to the entire state or to an area as specifically defined as 10 houses on one street. Calls will include the name of the agency that activates the system, type of emergency, recommended protective actions, if any, and resources for obtaining additional information. Appropriate Emergency Alert System radio stations and television stations will also be provided.
IMPORTANT: If your phone number is unlisted or if you use a cell phone as your primary phone, you MUST contact First Call Interactive Network at 1-866-484-3264 or visit the First Call website (https://alertregistration.com/dema/) to register for the DENS list. The registration line prompts callers through the registration process. There is no cost to register. A street address is necessary for cell phone users, and only one phone number per address is permitted. The State of Delaware DOES NOT offer an official text message based alerting system.
- Emergency Alert System (EAS) Radio Stations – Frequent announcements over the local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio stations identified below:
New Castle County WDEL -AM 1150 KHz WSTW -FM 93.7 MHz WJBR -AM 1290 KHz WJBR -FM 99.5 MHz
Kent County WDOV -AM 1410 KHz WRDX -FM 94.7 MHz WAFL -FM 97.7 MHz
Sussex County WZBH -FM 93.5 MHz WOSC -FM 95.9 MHZ
- Police and Fire Department Personnel – Police and fire department personnel using loudspeakers and making door-to-door contacts.
- NOAA All-Hazards Radio – Provides an excellent source of up-to-date, real time emergency information.
- News Media - Provides another excellent source of up-to-date, real time emergency information.
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