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Message Board Use Sought For Emergencies
Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today
The Sheriff's Office plans to contact businesses along U.S. 27 that have electronic message boards in hopes of using them for Amber and Silver alerts.
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Published: October 3, 2008
SEBRING - There isn't anything more frightening to a family than to have a loved one suddenly gone missing.
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is hoping businesses with electronic message boards along U.S. 27 will be willing to work with the Missing Children's Clearing House and Amber Alert program, and help families and law enforcement locate missing children or the elderly.
At a September meeting of the Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) committee, members were informed of an effort to identify and coordinate businesses that have electronic sign boards along U.S. 27 and to get them involved when there are Amber or Silver alerts.
The Amber Alert program is being expanded to include seniors, according to Nell Hays, S.A.L.T. secretary and Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit specialist.
"In case of an emergency, these businesses would replace their normal message with emergency information provided by the sheriff's office," according to Hays.
Sheriff Susan Benton has requested her staff to contact these business owners and solicit their support.
Benton said Thursday the initiative was in its early stages. When her deputies have gathered all of the information, her office would send out letters informing the business owners.
"We use reverse 911 now," said Benton. "It would be one more tool. We don't have any big (Department of Transportation) signboards used for Amber and Silver Alerts (on the interstate highways), so we want to contact the businesses to see if they'll work with us."
Why doesn't the sheriff's office just get the reader boards?
"It's probably a budgeting issue," said Mike Durham, sheriff's general counsel. "But it's certainly something that could be passed to the (Highlands County Board of Commissioners). I think it's something the commissioners, the sheriff's office and the municipalities could consider."
Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .
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