Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Mass Notification System












Press Release   .
Kane County Emergency Services                                    
Date: 2/5/13
Alan Alldredge
435-689-0143

re: Everbridge Mass Notification System

Kane County Keeps Citizens Safe with
Everbridge SySTEM for Citizen Alerts


Kane County is now using the Everbridge Notification System for Citizen Alerts to communicate with thousands of businesses and residents in minutes in the event of an emergency.  Everbridge is an industry-leading interactive communication and mass notification solutions provider that helps organizations save lives, manage critical activities and improve the efficiency of daily operations.

With the Everbridge system, Kane County will be able to alert residents about severe weather, fires, floods, toxic environmental issues and in process violent crimes. Messages can be sent to individuals using a variety of contact mechanisms– cell phone, landline, email, and text messaging – ensuring that residents and town/city staff receive life-saving emergency information and important public service announcements in minutes.

The Everbridge system is available for all Kane County, Fredonia, and Mocassin area residents.  Kane County and Fredonia residents and businesses who have a landline will be entered into the system from the 911 database.  Many residents no longer have landlines and will not benefit from the 911 information.  It is important that all residents enter their contact information in the self registration portal so that they will be able to receive emergency alerts.  All residents should register even if they have a landline, so they can add other forms of contact.

To enter your information, go to Kane County’s website at www.kane.utah.gov and click on the Everbridge logo at the bottom of the home page.  You will be directed to the self registration portal where you will create an account and enter your contact methods.  You can go into your account at any time to update your information and preferences.

Have everyone in your home who has their own phone create their own account.  There are 4 sections of information for you to fill out.  Your profile, subscriptions, locations you care about, and your contact information.  Under locations, you can list as many addresses as you would like notifications about.  List your home, and businesses for sure, but you may also list your kid’s schools, your work location, or other family and friend’s addresses you want to receive notifications about.  You can even have family or friends who don’t live in Kane County create an account and list your address under locations, and if there is an alert that includes your address, they will be notified.  This is a great way for your family to be alerted if there is an emergency and you don’t have time to call or if you are elderly and your children would like to be alerted to emergencies that affect you.   

This new emergency tool is only as good as the information it has listed.  We need your help to build the information in the database.  Your information is protected, and will never be given to anyone else, and will only be used to contact you during an emergency or with information that affects our local area.

For additional information, or if you would like a presentation to a group you belong to, contact Alan Alldredge at 435-644-4995, or send an email to aalldredgekcso@kanab.net .