LIHU'E, Kaua'i – Seventy-seven percent of the telephones called during the county's first test of its Connect-CTY emergency alert system last Friday responded either via a live person or answering machine, county officials said.

"We are very pleased with the high response rate we received on our initial test of Connect-CTY, and would like to encourage those who haven't had a chance to sign for this free service to do so," Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said in a news release about the test.

"In addition, residents or businesses whose published phone numbers have changed within the past year should call us and let us know what their current number if they would like to be notified during emergencies," Carvalho said.

The mayor said the county plans to use the mass notification service to inform Kaua'i residents about civil defense emergencies including tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, flash floods, and any other situation that could impact the safety, property, or welfare of residents and visitors.

To register for Connect-CTY online, please log on to the county website, www.kauai.gov.

Publicly available residential and business phones on Kaua'i are already included in the county's Connect-CTY system, along with those who have signed up for the service.

Residents can also opt to be notified on additional phones, up to three per person is allowed, and/or via email, as well as indicate if they have a TTY/TDD device.

Those without Internet access can have their information added to the county database by calling 241-1800.