FAQ’s
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What is T.E.N.S.?
TENS stands for Telephone Emergency Notification
System, a system of alerting residents of disasters that is commonly referred to
Reverse 9-1-1. It is one of several methods that
San Bernardino County
uses to communicate with residents during disasters.
·
How does T.E.N.S. work?
TENS uses a database of phone numbers
and addresses which are geocoded with the County’s street network to identify residents
in a specific area to call with emergency alerts. TENS already has the landlines
of those residing and working in
San Bernardino County
through the 9-1-1 database. Since cell phone numbers and VoIP numbers are not in
the 9-1-1 database,
San Bernardino County
has provided the opportunity to enter those numbers on this website so as to receive
the same alerts as landline customers.
·
Why do you need my address?
TENS alerts do not generally go out to
the entire County, but instead are targeted to affected areas. If your address is
in an affected area, the alert will be sent to your landline if applicable, or to
the cell phone or VoIP number you have provided.
·
Is registration free?
Yes.
·
Do I need to register my home
line to be included in the database?
No, your home phone number is already
listed in the database and does not need to be registered. Registering your
cell or VoIP phone will not replace or “overwrite” your home line. All efforts
will be made to reach you at all of your contact numbers on file.
·
If I register my cell phone,
VoIP or e-mail address, will that information remain confidential?
Yes, your information will be kept confidential.
It may be shared with other public safety agencies but will only be used for emergency
purposes. Under no circumstances will your information ever be sold or used
for commercial purposes.
·
I’m having difficulties viewing
the form, or I don t see a form, or after I submitted the form I receive a page cannot
be displayed message. What should I do?
The site may be experiencing a high level
of traffic. Try refreshing your internet browser intermittently until the
form comes up for you.
You may also send an e-mail to
emergency@sbcounty.gov
·
I entered the wrong information
or made a typo, can you correct it for me?
Yes. Check the change button and start
your process again.
·
Do I need to add a 1 at the
beginning of my phone number?
No.
·
Can I add more than one number
per address?
A total of four numbers per address may
be registered.
·
If I send you my information
can you register me?
San Bernardino County
has partnered with the 2-1-1 hotline to
register those individuals who do not have access to internet. Please call 2-1-1
or 888- 435-7565 to ask for assistance. Have your physical address ready including
the name, type and direction. Example:
123 N. Rose Avenue
. City, State, Zip
·
Is this web site secure?
Yes.
·
I am moving out of the County
or would like to remove the information I submitted from the database.
Go to the registration page and choose
the remove button to start the process.
·
I have a question that is not
covered in this FAQ.
Please e-mail your question to
emergency@sbcounty.gov
·
Can I have my phone number associated
with multiple locations?
Yes. This requires new registration. However,
all registrations will be affected with any change or removals.
·
I have call screening/interception
to discourage telemarketers. Will I get the message?
It depends. If your telephone system
simply requires a valid caller ID, we will get through. Our caller IDs will
show as “Emergency Info” and the number (909) 355-8800. If your telephone system
requires a caller to first say their name, or who they are, then wait until the
call is accepted, our system will not be able to get through to you. During
a community disaster, please consider disabling such blocking.
·
I live in a remote area, sometimes
my location is hard to find.
Notifications are usually geographically
based. If you live in a very rural location, please let us know how to find
your address. Your nearest cross streets are acceptable or GPS coordinates are even
better. PO Boxes will not work for our reverse notification system.
·
Do I need to call 9-1-1 after
I get a message?
Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you are in a true emergency circumstance.
Please follow the directions in the emergency alert.
·
Will my telephone get called
if the power goes out?
If your telephone is “corded”, meaning
powered by the phone line, yes. If you have a cordless phone, only if the
base unit has battery or back up power. It is always a good idea to have a corded
phone in your home for the sake of emergencies.
·
What type of messages can I
expect to receive?
San Bernardino County
uses their TENS system only to notify residents about emergencies or situations
where they may be in imminent danger. Therefore, if you receive a TENS message;
please follow the directions included in the message.
·
Why am I only offered the option
to receive a text message on my cell phone?
During disasters, cell lines are often
congested and cell phone calls fail to connect. However, text messages utilize different
channels and use less bandwidth and are therefore more likely to reach their designated
recipient with the critical information.
·
If I have updated my landline
on your database, will the phone company be notified?
We do not notify or update the phone company.
·
How do I know what address is
associated with my landline number and that it’s in the 9-1-1 database?
Call your phone company and ask them for
your 9-1-1 address.
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