A Jefferson County fire spokeswoman acknowledged this afternoon that about 12 percent of homeowners within the Lower North Fork Fire zone did not receive automated emergency calls.
Because of the software glitch, the sheriff’s office will send emergency vehicles to evacuation areas as a back-up plan to warn people to leave immediately from their homes, said Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“Obviously there is some concern about our reverse 911 program,” Kelley said during a noon press conference. “We want answers as much as everyone else does. We think it was a software issue.”
Kelley said, however, that people don’ t have to wait until they are contacted by authorities about a fire if they don’t feel safe. They can evacuate at any time, she said.
People should take responsibility for their own safety, she said.
Kelley said that, did receive an automated call. Neighbors have said, however, that the Lucases told them they did not receive a call.
despite calling dispatch for several hours about smelling and seeing smoke.
Olson said dispatchers told her not to keep calling every time she smelled smoke and that she was not in jeopardy. Ultimately as flames were burning on either side of their road.
Kelley said that early on dispatchers did tell residents that it was a controlled burn, but when they learned that it was out of control, they told them that a five-acre fire was out of control.
Several people have also said that they received notifications of a fire even though they were nowhere near the fire.
Sandra Nance, 65, 4097 Field Dr., in Wheat Ridge, said she received an automated call on her cell phone and also received an e-mail warning about a wildfire.
She called Wheat Ridge police and asked if a fire was burning in a nearby green zone and was told that it was likely a mistake.
“It’s criminal,” Nance said. “It’s gross negligence. They really need to get their computer system squared away.”
Kelley said Jefferson County just purchased the reverse 911 computer system last year.
“If we need to go elsewhere, we’ll go elsewhere,” she said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
