The city of Canal Winchester announced its partnership with Franklin County EMA & Homeland Security, implementing the ALERT Franklin County Public Notification System. The new countywide mass notification and warning system, ALERT Franklin County, is a state-of-the-art system which will be used to alert residents about emergencies and other important community news in all jurisdictions within Franklin County. ALERT Franklin County enables officials to provide critical information directly to residents via text message, phone (home, cell or business) and email.
ALERT Franklin County is customizable and allows residents to choose which kind of community notifications they want to receive and how they would like to receive them. Residents can elect to receive emergency notifications about severe weather and disasters as well as location specific information regarding crime alerts, road closures, transportation incidents, utility outages, government closings and other important community news.
“We have a commitment to ensure public safety, community awareness, and rapid response. When important information and community announcements are necessary, we need to reach our residents as quickly and reliably as possible,” said Canal Winchester Mayor Michael Ebert. “The ALERT Franklin County Mass Notification System will allow the city of Canal Winchester to distribute this information across all types of devices, ensuring residents have access to real-time public information when they need it the most.”
Residents will be able to opt-in and specify which notifications from the city of Canal Winchester they prefer to receive. Choices will include non-emergency alerts, boil alerts, local traffic alerts, community celebrations, and cancellations and closure notices. The city presently offers similar notifications through their website, however, plans are to phase out the current notification system by year’s end. Residents currently receiving notifications via the city’s website link Notify Me® will be asked to opt-in to the new system.
Severe weather advisories and emergency warnings will be sent from Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
“FCEM&HS will warn the citizens of Franklin County on severe weather, dam failures, terrorism, major hazardous material incidents, major aircraft accidents, significant civil disturbance, major utility disruptions, damage-producing earthquakes and other significant warnings,” said Michael R. Pannell, Director of Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
The ALERT Franklin County system will be available for public registration beginning July 21. Residents can sign up online at www.alertfranklincounty.org, www.fcemhs.org or at www.canalwinchesterohio.gov.
