ESTEVAN - The City of Estevan has signed on with an alert app system to inform the public about various situations.
The city is now part of the Voyent Alert notification system. Citizens can download the app and receive notifications. Those that don’t have a mobile device can sign up through the City of Estevan’s website and receive a telephone call to have the alert read.
“The alert app is fairly simple in the sense of its job is to get the information out to the citizens. The alert app, once downloaded, it allows you to add locations to points of interest that you would like to have, whether it’s your house, a family member, workplace, etc.,” said James Lainton, the city’s information-technology manager. Lainton made the presentation along with Jacquelyn Massey-Rounds, the manager of marketing and communication.
Alerts will be generated by different departments – such as roads and drainage, marketing and tourism, and water – and will pop up based on whether the GPS location is pertinent, or if it’s a city-wide alert, Lainton said.
They could be used in the event of an emergency, or for a general alert such as street sanding in the winter. Or the city could issue a more centralized alert such as a road closure. There would also be instructions on potential start and end times.
The city could also use it for events open to the community.
“It is designed to be very simple and easy. Any revisions to these alerts come through as an update, so you could see a progression if there’s new information after an alert’s been out,” said Lainton.
The app does not require information from citizens, said Lainton. It is free for people to use.
All Sask. Alert notifications for the City of Estevan automatically flow through this system.
“You could potentially use this app and receive the Sask Alert apps all on the same screen. When those alerts are cleared, they will also be cleared in the system as well,” said Lainton.
