November 15, 2021 – Dodge County, WI – During the overnight hours of November 15, 2021, the Beaver Dam Police Department requested assistance from the Dodge County
Sheriff’s Office, including the response of the CART (Child Abduction Response Team) team, for a report of a missing 2-3-year old child in the city of Beaver Dam. Thankfully, the incident was resolved with the child being located safe and sound.
As part of that response, the Dodge County Communications Center utilized its automated alert phone system with the intention that it would be sent only to residents in the immediate vicinity of the incident. Unfortunately, due to a technical issue, the alert was distributed to a much larger area than intended. This prompted many residents to contact the Sheriff’s Office with concerns about the incident or wondering why they were receiving the alert, especially if they lived some distance from the area.
Both the Beaver Dam Police Department and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office wish to extend a sincere apology to anyone who received this alert inadvertently and was disturbed by the phone call in any way. We are working with the provider of the service to resolve the technical issue to ensure it works as intended in the future.
These types of technological advancements are crucial for alerting the public in any number of emergency types, including significant weather events, major law enforcement incidents, or any event that requires the ability to quickly and efficiently reach large areas with emergent information.
Questions may be directed to Sheriff Dale J. Schmidt.