With the memory of New Hampshire’s December 2008 ice storm still fresh, legislators will consider a bill that would allow the state to send residents automated phone messages about similar emergencies.
A bill scheduled for consideration by House members on Jan. 6 would create a computerized system to handle prerecorded calls to land lines and cell phones about such situations as a tornado warning, a dam break or ice storms. It would be used statewide or focus on a specific area.
The system has the support of Gov. John Lynch. If passed, officials believe New Hampshire would be the first to have a statewide "reverse 911" system; some cities and counties in the nation with greater populations that have similar setups.