HELENA, MT - The Corrections Department is testing a new communications system intended to quickly notify dozens of top officials within minutes about escapes or other problems.

The system, developed by Missoula-based Invizeon Corp., will automatically inform government officials through phone calls and e-mails. In the past, staff at a command post had to make a series of individual phone calls to top corrections officials and key governor's staff, which could take hours.

The new system will take minutes, once the problem has been entered into the system, Invizeon said. Officials will receive a phone call from a computer generated voice that translates the alert script that was typed in by incident commanders. It will be used for so-called Priority 1 incidents, such as escapes, suicides or riots. One advantage of the system is it automatically logs which officials have received the alert message, so commanders know who exactly has been notified.

"This is really exciting for us," said David Skilling, executive vice president of client services at the company. "It's also our first corrections application."

The company's system, which sends e-mails and can call multiple phone numbers for each person, is currently used by the U.S. Navy and others for quick notification of a large number of people.

The state Corrections Department has been testing the CHAIN program for about six weeks and will continue to do so before deciding if they want to buy it. Officials said they don't yet know what how much it would cost. Skilling said the final cost "really depends on the final configuration."

The Department of Corrections is dealing with cost overruns this year due mostly to an increase in the number of inmates. The notification system will give staff at the command center more time to focus on the problem, rather than spending time trying to make dozens of phone calls, corrections officials said.

"This system will represent a significant improvement in our overall management of critical events," Mike Mahoney, warden at Montana State Prison, said in a release.