City Seeks Proposals for Alert System

Following an explosion at a chemical plant in the Rubbertown neighborhood, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has requested a proposal from companies for an alert system that can be used citywide.The request comes weeks after a March 21 explosion at Carbide Industries killed two employees and shut down streets for several hours. “We are moving forward quickly and efficiently to implement the best system possible to keep our citizens informed 24/7,” Fischer said in a news release.Last week, Fischer met with over 200 Rubbertown residents, who complained about a lapse in a notification hotline. The Rubbertown Community Awareness Line of Louisville was an emergency telephone notification service that was established by Metro Government in 2004. It is supposed to be updated every half hour by companies operating in the area to warn residents, but Carbide failed to update the service for an hour and a half.The city is seeking an emergency system that could be used to alert citizens across Louisville Metro or in specific neighborhoods. It would target landline phones and cellphones, including text messaging and emails. The notification service would also reach residents who speak a foreign language, who are blind and/or hearing impaired.Vendor proposals are due by April 29. A committee will review the proposals and negotiate a contract with a selected company by about July 1.