3 minute read
Hawkins County Emergency Communications, a 911 System
AN OVERVIEW
Hawkins County Emergency Communications, a 911 system, allows all Hawkins County residents to request fire, law enforcement or emergency medical assistance by dialing 911. They are headquartered at 2291 E. Main St., Rogersville.
Only emergency calls should be made by dialing 911.
For non-emergency calls to the 911 office, dial 272-7532.
Hawkins County Emergency Management Agency and Hawkins County Emergency Communications District launched a new mass notification system called Hyper-Reach. This mass notification platform offers many features that our previous system did not offer. Some of the key feature updates include unlimited use, integration with social media, the ability to activate cell phones through the FEMA Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), the ability to send alerts to Alexa devices, and many more features. As part of Hyper-Reach selected weather alerts are included.
Some phone data is uploaded by the vender but all residents and businesses are encouraged to enroll to confirm they are enrolled. The enrollment process for Hyper-Reach can be completed by one of the following options, by visiting the website hyperreach.com/tnhawkinssignup. html, calling 423-358-2294 and following the prompts; texting ALERTS to 423-3582294; using a Alexa unit by saying “Alexa, enable Hyper-Reach. To enroll in the service is free.
The Hyper-Reach system replaced the CodeRED system previously used by Hawkins County and none of the enrollment data was able to be transferred, a new enrollment will be required. This new mass notification system will be fully implemented by Dec. 1, 2022 and the previous CodeRED system will no longer be used. This project is a joint venture between Hawkins County Emergency Management Agency and Hawkins County Emergency Communications District.
POST REFLECTIVE NUMBERS
To ease the difficulty of tracking down a house or business, the 911 program requests that 4-inch reflective house numbers be placed where they can be seen easily from the road.
Suggested locations are on a house, on a mailbox or on a post next to the driveway.
A 911 address must be obtained by all newcomers, or families who move from one residence to another, before having telephone service installed.
From HISTORY | 6
Pressmen’s Home
The Pressmen’s Home was the former headquarters for the International Printing Pressman and Assistants’ Union of North America. George L. Berry convinced the union to establish the location after he became he became president of the Pressman’s Union. The union purchased the Hale Springs Resort.
The Pressmen’s Home became a self sufficient town by adding larger and more elaborate facilityies. as the union grew. It even provided it’s own electricity. The locations building included administration buildings, the home building, a Tuberculosis sanitorium, Hotel Pressuaina, Memorial Chapel and a trade school.
In the mid-1960s, the U.S. federal government was lobbied by competing union that the rural East Tennessee location of the union was a determent to the interest of the union. The headquarters was moved in 1967 due to lack of funding and merger with other printing union. The home was closed in 1969 after providing retirement facilities for union members.
Over the years there has been attempts to revive the site, which included a tourist resort, retirement community and even a state penitentiary. In the 1970s, an investment group partially re-developed the site into a resort with tracts of land set aside for vacation homes. A golf course and country club are the only active projects.
Many of the original buildings are in disrepair or have been demolished. The Pressman’s Home is now a ghost town to a by gone era. It is located 11.6 miles from Rogersville.
SURGOINSVILLE
Long Meadow
Long Meadow was a log structure built by William Young after receiving the property through a royal land grant. considered to be the oldest wooden structure in Tennessee. It is located in Carters Valley near Surgoinsville. Long Meadow is located 11.3 miles from Rogersville.
Stoney Point
William Armstong was given a land grant in the 1780s on which he built Stony Point. The location was established as Hawkins County in 1787 and was named for Benjamin Hawkins. Hawkins was a U.S. Sentor from North Carolina. A visitor to the Armstrong estate in 1797 was Louis Philippe, who would become King of France in 1830. Hawkins County saw combat in the American Civil War the most noted was the Battle of Rogersville on Nov. 6, 1863. Poor Valley State Park, a 1,900-2,200 acre are in western Hawkins County, was proposed and planned as a state park to promote economic development in Upper East Tennessee. In the 1970s that plan stalled.
