Splatsin has partnered with ICEsoft Technologies through its VoyentAlert mass notification service to keep community members and others living in the area safe during emergencies, such as wildfires, while delivering vital information to cell phones, landlines, and email.
“During a critical event, such as a wildfire, every minute counts,” said Splatsin Kukpi7 (Chief) and Secwepemc Tribal Chief Wayne Christian. “This new system is one more step in the right direction to help keep our people safe and healthy during emergencies.”
Christian added that his community will be alerting band members to wildfires, flooding, criminal activity, wildlife issues, vehicle accidents, and other critical incidents.
VoyentAlert is used by communities across Canada including Tkemlups te Secwepemc and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
The system’s smart alerting capabilities ensure citizens only receive alerts relevant to their geographic location and any locations they are monitoring. The alerts provide information such as the distance and direction from an incident, time of intercept, and instructions to stay safe including evacuation routes and muster points.
Splatsin plans to use the service for regular day-to-day communication in addition to its critical incident alerting capabilities.
When a community member registers, they will be subscribed to non-emergency updates including garbage pick-up reminders, health information, community events, financial resources, election information, and snow removal. Registrants who would prefer not to receive day-to-day communications can deselect the topics unimportant to them.
Users of the public alert system cannot opt out of critical incident alerts.
Community members interested in receiving alerts via voicemail or email can register at www.splatsin.ca/emergencies/alerts.
Smartphone users can download the VoyentAlert on the App Store or Google Play.
Splatsin is entering band members who register before Aug. 15 into a draw for three prizes: Bose Soundlink Revolve ($300 value); Weber Q1200 portable BBQ ($300 value); and a traditional medicine package from Sharing Mela’hma ($150 value).
For more information about Splatsin’s public alert system, or for assistance registering to receive alerts, contact the band office at (250) 838-6496. If you witness a critical incident on-reserve, first call emergency personnel at 911 or RAPP (Report A Poacher or Polluter) at 877-952-7277 and then call Splatsin’s senior executive advisor at (250) 309-2961 to report the incident.
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