NEW YORK, NY December 04, 2007 —Over the next few months the Bloomberg Administration will try out new public emergency notification programs in hopes of finding the best approach for City-wide application. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Back in August the subway flood fiasco and the Deutsche bank fire in Lower Manhattan drove home the need for the City to improve how it gets out real-time emergency information. Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler says the City will try out using e-mail and text messaging as well as reverse 911 alerts where officials reach residents by cell phones and land lines.

Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler:

SKYLER: "Even if there is nothing for people to do they want to know what is going on. And not knowing what is going on and not hearing from government can cause anxiety."

REPORTER: During the pilot roll-out anyone can sign up for the notifications and updates but the information supplied will be about Lower Manhattan, Southwest Staten Island, the Northeast Bronx and the flood prone Rockaways. For WNYC I am Bob Hennelly.