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FREE CAER LINE STICKERS AVAILABLE Free stickers with the CAER Line phone number are available for all of your work, home, and cellular telephones. Just e-mail the quantity desired and your work or home mailing address to the e-mail address listed on the "Contact Us" page. |
CAER LINE
EHCMA established the "Community Awareness and Emergency Response" Line (or CAER Line) in 1986 as a free public service.
In October 2002, EHCMA adopted the new CAER Line logo (see above), First Call Network expanded the CAER Line's phone lines and features, and Language Line Services added bilingual Interpreter capability. EHCMA now handles administration of the CAER Line database after 18 years of operation by Dow Chemical.
In June 2003, First Call increased the incoming call capacity from 40 to 400 simultaneous calls during an emergency, moved the CAER Line to its own dedicated computer with battery backup, and established a fully-redundant Call Center in Montana with dual-entry fiber optic cable runs.
In December 2004, the CAER Line was modified so Callers would hear shorter, simpler menus. Users who post Emergency or General Information messages automatically receive a "CAER Line Report" by e-mail telling them how many Callers heard their message. EHCMA Member plants, City/County Offices of Emergency Management, and Police/Fire Dispatch Centers can also sign up to be automatically notified by phone anytime an Emergency message is posted to the CAER Line.
In July 2007, the CAER Line menus were modified again. Callers can now report an odor to the Odor Network more quickly. Any "Emergency" messages are automatically played first, followed by "General Information" messages without any interruption. Information about community warning systems and how to Shelter In Place is available after any messages.
In November 2007, EHCMA decided to have all Emergency messages that are posted on the CAER Line be automatically translated into Spanish by 24/7 personnel available at First Call Network and Language Line Services. Since some facilities lack 24/7 access to bilingual personnel, EHCMA pays the cost of the translation in order to better inform the Spanish-speaking population of east Harris County.
The CAER Line's mission is two-fold:
1. To serve as a source of information about emergency response incidents at member facilities or off-site transportation incidents (such as a tanker truck, rail car, pipeline, or marine vessel) that may impact the community,
2. To act as a central clearinghouse and referral source for inquiries about member facilities and other CAER Line Users (such as local offices of emergency management and non-EHCMA member facilities).
Callers who dial 281-476-2237 (CAER) -- or who dial 281-476-2273 (CARE) -- will hear an interactive menu offering several information choices to choose from:
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Emergency Information |
Reports about incidents where emergency response actions are underway, involving an explosion, fire, or chemical release producing smoke, fumes, odors or noise that the public can see, smell, or hear, or may require public protective actions (such as evacuation or shelter-in-place) |
| General Information | Reports about minor incidents confined inside a plant's boundaries or non-emergency events such as routine flaring due to maintenance, nuisance odors, siren tests, drills, exercises or firefighter training that do NOT require public protective actions. |
| Spanish Information | Reports in Spanish providing either emergency or general information messages from plants located in communities with high Hispanic populations or with large numbers of Spanish-speaking personnel. |
| Odor Network | Connect to a 24-hour Dispatch Center to report any unusual or unpleasant odor within an EHCMA Outreach Area. The Dispatch Center will document your report, try to identify the source, and call you back within two (2) hours. |
Emergency messages are played first on the CAER Line, regardless of the geographic area involved, followed by General Information messages. The latest, most recently recorded message is the first message heard. You can "fast forward" or skip past any message by pressing the Star (*) key.
EHCMA encourages each CAER Line member facility or agency to place a message on the CAER Line as quickly as possible, ideally in less than 15 minutes of an incident occurring at their facility or off-site transportation incident scene.
For more information about the CAER Line or to obtain a Application Form to become a CAER Line member, please visit our "Contact Us" page
CAER Line members can contact EHCMA to obtain:
Questions or comments? Please visit our "Contact Us" page
Updated May 5, 2008
www.ehcma.com/caerline.htm