The emergency calls, usually in the form of an automated call or recorded message, serve as a warning about tornadoes, gas leaks, potential floods or even a missing child, ONN's Dan Weist reported.

"The last tornado warning we had came in at 4 a.m.," said Union County 911 Director Ann Barr.

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Union County, located in central Ohio, pays for the automated calling service called CodeRED. The county recently stopped using the service for tornado warnings.

"The sirens were going off right across the street and a half hour later my phone rings," said New California resident Dave Boone.

That is a typical problem for the automated industry. Part of the reason is that smaller communities do not have phone systems that can quickly handle a flood of automated calls, Weist reported.

Barr said she hoped the system would be quick enough for fast-moving tornadoes that can come without much notice.

"That's what the literature said, that it could be used for tornado warnings," Barr said. "But we didn't see the success with it."

Union County shares phone services with Marysville. Fire officials said it is a good system with limited uses.

County emergency officials said the calling system, with a shared cost of $7,000 a year, has been worthwhile.

"It's a great opportunity for us to use it as a tool to contact neighbors, communities and special events," said Marysville Assistant Fire Chief Jay Riley.

Other county officials across the state said they aren't so convinced that it is worth tax dollars for another reason -- the proliferation of cell phones.

In part two of ONN's series on telephone emergency notification systems, ONN finds out whether your home will get a call if a calamity happens just down the street.

Stay with The Ohio News Network and ONNtv.com for continuing coverage.

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