NORTON - The town will get a reverse 911 emergency message system later this year, Fire Chief Richard Gomes says.

A Bristol County agency is making the system available throughout the county, Gomes told selectmen.

Three or four designees from each community will be trained to send alerts to the Bristol County Sheriff's office, which will activate the system, Gomes said.

Messages could be sent to homes during crises, such as an incident on Feb. 11, when the mother of a 5-year-old girl reported her missing in the frigid cold, Gomes said.

A search was mounted and the girl was found quickly, but had lost her coat while walking in the woods behind her Leonard Street home. Many other communities have similar message systems, with brand names like Reverse-911 and Connect-CTY, he said.