Byline: By Ryan Konig, Staff writer
It's faster than a monthly newsletter. Quicker than a meeting. And much less
time-consuming than calling hundreds of people.
In about a month, Phoenix's Block Watch leaders will become part of a ''phone tree,'' allowing each to receive up-to-the-minute news about citywide Block Watch issues and upcoming meetings.
The phone tree is being created by US West so that Richard Fox, president of the Phoenix Block Watch Advisory Board, will be able to record messages and send them automatically to as many as 2,500 participating Block Watch leaders.
The phone tree is scheduled for a one-year trial run, beginning in June. US West will set up the service free of charge as a way of enticing new customers to try its voice-messaging service.
The Block Watch leaders who take part will be offered a free month's use of voice mail. Afterwards, participants can choose whether to keep the service and pay a monthly fee of about $7.
If the phone tree is successful in Phoenix, Greg Zych, a product manager with US West, will try to sell the concept to Block Watch groups throughout the 14 states in which the company has services.
Fox said the phone tree could be used to notify Block Watch leaders about any City Council or state Legislature hearings that could affect neighborhoods.
It also may be used to coordinate citywide Block Watch activities, such as the annual National Night Out celebration.
Block Watch leaders who are part of the phone tree will be able to create smaller phone trees to relay messages to their neighbors.