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Nyack Looks At Local Reverse 911 System

NYACK, NY (WCBS 880) - A couple of nights ago, when a bear wandered through the streets of Nyack, residents were not warned.

WCBS 880's Sean Adams In Rockland County

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Now, mayor Richard Kavesh wants to make sure that when residents need information they get it.

He favors the village getting its own reverse 911 alert system.

Two recent events lead him to this conclusion.

A few weeks back, when a oil water advisory was issued, Rockland County's notification system failed. There was a computer glitch.

"At 8:30, I asked for a second set of calls to go out. They made the decision [that] 9 o'clock is too late for a second batch of calls. So people went to bed, woke up, drank their coffee, brushed their teeth, fed their babies with water that that the county knew was bad," he says.

Nearly 15,000 residents were left uninformed.

Then two days ago, when a black bear wandered through, Clarkstown police called Upper Nyack residents, but Orangetown police didn't think it was necessary to call in Nyack.

Kavesh doesnt think reverse 911 will cost much. He points out that, after all, little leagues have it.

He also suggests, as a possible cost-saving measure, that there be one system for all of the Nyacks.

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