Columbia - Boone County Office of Emergency Management

Public Safety Joint Communications

Alert – Urgent Must Know Information:

• Emergencies requiring immediate action (e.g. Tornado warning, chemical spill or other emergency requiring people to evacuate or shelter in place).

 Advisory – Important Need to Know Information:

• Amber Alert
• Weather Watch/Advisory

Community – Informational “Want to know”

• Emergency Management Disaster Preparedness Bulletins (e.g. severe weather, earthquake, etc.)
• Emergency Management Disaster Preparedness Events/Training (e.g. weather spotter class, Home Show, etc.)
• (9-1-1) Joint Communications Bulletins/Education/Events 

• Road hazard affecting traffic flow and/or motorist safety (e.g. flooded road, accidents, etc.)

Alert – Urgent Must Know Information:

• Hazardous Materials Incident
• Fire with traffic control issues
• Other dangerous situations which require public notification

 Advisory – Important Need to Know Information:

• Incendiary (arson) fire information
• Pattern of suspicious fires

Community – Informational “Want to know”

• Fire Safety bulletins
• Fire Prevention Week Information
• Change Your Clock - Change Your Battery reminder
• Arson Awareness Week Information
• Community Meetings, Open House, etc

Traffic – Informational “Should Know”

• Injury or Extrication crashes where road is blocked or closed
• Other incidents which would effect traffic flow and motorist safety

Alert – Urgent Must Know Information:

• Major road closure/crash
  
• Aircraft crash
  
• Terrorist activity
  
• Dangerous ongoing situation requiring lockdown for extended area and time
  
• Avoid the area: code red situation

 Advisory – Important Need to Know Information:

• Dangerous crime occurring or occurred; people nearby may wish to lockdown
  
• Need to locate missing person (examples: Alzheimers patient walked away)
  
• Code red situation; no need to avoid area; sufficiently blocked off, but info for residents
  
• Notify residents of recent crime trends (burglaries/robberies/larcenies, etc.)

Community – Informational “Want to know”

• Neighborhood assoc. meetings
  
• Neighborhood watch meetings
  
• Heads up on a protest where police presence will be seen
  
• Heads up on a community event where there will be police presence: Show Me Games, for example

Traffic – Informational “Should Know”

• Traffic details
  
• Sobriety checkpoints
  
• Traffic Observation being done
  
• Red light camera info/updates
  
• Road closures for events
  

 Advisory – Important “Need to Know” Information:

• Significant news advisories on major issues
• City Manager statements
• Outages and changes in access affecting City Hall or all of City government

Community – Informational “Want to know”

• Major public events, meeting notices, deadlines

Alert – Urgent “Must Know” Information:

• Public health emergencies requiring immediate action (for example: anthrax attack requiring immediate treatment and prevention)

 Advisory – Important “Need to Know” Information:

• Additional public health emergency information (shelters, cooling centers, etc.)
• Pandemic flu information
• Substantial food or drug recall
• Significant disease outbreaks in our community

Community – Informational “Want to know”

• Flu clinic schedules
• Public health awareness events (Public Health Week, National Preparedness Month, Heart Month, etc.)
• Health department-sponsored meetings and events

Columbia Water & Light Water Division

Please see the water boil advisory/order web page for more information.

Alert – Urgent “Must Know” Information:

• Water Boil Advisories: Occurs when pressure in the system drops with a water main break and contamination could have occurred. This requires water customers to boil their water for safety purposes. Customers in the geographic area of the break will be notified.
• Water Boil Orders: A Boil Order is issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources when there are known problems with the water supply. This requires water customers to boil their water for safety purposes.