Fischer to Update Residents on Rubbertown Emergency Alert System

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer will hold a public meeting Thursday evening to update the public on his administration’s response to the March explosion in a Rubbertown plant that killed two workers.After the blast at Carbide Industries’ chemical plant, nearby residents were given conflicting instructions. Some were told to stay in their homes, while others were told to evacuate. Since then, Metro Government has taken over a phone line that warns residents about emergencies, but there’s still no large-scale alert system. Rubbertown resident Charles Pope says one is sorely needed.“Where I live there’s no response system at all. Nobody calls us, we hear no warning sirens, no bells, no nothing,” he said. He’d like to see “some type of notification that will let the people in the neighborhood know. And not a just a siren—a system that will let them know if they should shelter-in-place, evacuate, whatever.”Fischer has budgeted $500,000 for an emergency system to warn residents of emergencies. The city has received 11 proposals and narrowed the field down to four finalists; tonight Fischer is expected to give an update on the process. The meeting is at 7:00 at the Southwick Community Center.