The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has teamed up with the company Voyent Alert! to introduce a new notification system for emergency alerts and water advisories, according to a news release.
The notification system will send alerts to residents, businesses and visitors during critical events such as wildfires, flooding or any other emergency situation. The service will also be used for water advisories on all RDCK water systems.
Residents can sign up for the new system now at https://voyent-alert.com/community/?page_id=217. Those on an RDCK water system will receive information on how to sign up for the new service.
The new system is free and delivers emergency notifications via a smart phone app, text message, voice call or email, only to the receiver’s pre-set locations, using advanced geospatial technology.
Each notification will provide a personalized map, distance and direction from an incident, important safety information, and any next steps required.
“We had been looking to upgrade our emergency notification system and Voyent Alert!’s streamlined platform, featuring GPS technology, ensuring messages are getting to the right people at the right time was the biggest attraction,” said Chris Johnson, director of the RDCK Emergency Operations Centre.
“This is our quickest method for notifying the public of any emergency situation in a timely manner. We encourage everyone throughout the RDCK to take the time to sign up.”
The RDCK will continue to use other forms of communication as well, including its website, social media and hand delivering notifications for evacuation orders and some evacuation alerts.
