Essex residents should be able to get the information they need during an emergency with the launch of a new alert system.
The town officially launched Essex Alerts at the regular council meeting on March 19.
“This is a much needed addition to our emergency management system and will help to make sure information gets out quickly and efficiently,” said Rick Arnel, Chief of Essex Fire & Rescue Services. “We’re excited to offer Essex Alerts to our residents and we encourage them to register.”
The alert system is powered by Everbridge, which provides emergency notification systems to government and private organizations around the world. Everbridge is also currently used by a number of local municipalities.
“Registration for the system is voluntary so we’re asking all residents to log on and sign-up,” said Alex Denonville, manager of communications. “The registration process is very simple and only needs to be done once.”
“While some publicly listed home phone numbers have been added to the database, the system relies on residents registering themselves,” Denonville said, adding that, as of April 3, town staff will be able to assist residents who do not have access to their own computer.
Residents can sign up to receive notifications to their preferred devices, including email, home phone, cell phone, and fax machine.
Residents interested in signing up for Essex Alerts can visit www.essex.ca/alerts.
