The Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management announced today, October 31, 2013, the release of a new county-wide emergency alert system.
The Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management announced today, October 31, 2013, the release of a new county-wide emergency alert system.
County residents can begin to opt in to the alerts by signing up at the Kaufman County website or following this direct link: https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736721941. The system will operate on numbers provided in the white and yellow pages of county phone books to contact landlines.
Users who opt-in to the alerts can receive messages via SMS text message, email, or a phone call to their cell phone. “We need residents to go to the login site and enter their cell phone numbers and email addresses so our notifications will reach as many of our residents as possible,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Howie. “There are many residents who no longer have home phones and use their cell phones instead.”
At the opt-in registration webpage, users will have the option to select which types of alerts they would like to receive. Users will also be able to select which form of communication to receive the alerts to first. Options include:
- Informative Law Enforcement Alerts
- Informative Fire Department Alerts
- Water Outages
- Power Outages
- Public Meeting Alerts
- Public Works Alerts
- Traffic Information-Closures
- Weather Related Alerts
“This system will allow us to also send non-emergency notifications for such things as water outages, road closures, special events and meetings and many more,” continued Howie. “It will also allow residents to provide information on any functional needs they may have so that emergency response personnel can better assist if an evacuation is necessary. It will also let you list any special training you may have if you are interested in volunteering in a disaster.”
“This is truly a wonderful system and will provide us the ability to keep County residents and businesses informed as to potential hazardous situations and those situations though not an emergency but very helpful in their day to day activities,” said Howie.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management at (972) 932-9695 Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The City of Forney has an emergency alert system available at the following link: https://portal.blackboardconnectcty.com/welcome.aspx?eiid=1207B6088C3579A76278
