The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has teamed up with Voyent Alert! to introduce a new notification system for emergency alerts and water advisories.
The notification system is used to 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.
The service is easy to use and compliant with The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act which supports fully anonymous user registration and user privacy, according to RDCK.
Voyent Alert! is free and offers a user-friendly experience that delivers emergency notifications via a smart phone app, text message, voice call, or email. Each notification will provide a personalized map, distance, and direction from an incident. It will also provide important safety information and any next steps required. This will provide RDCK residents with relevant information, allowing them to make better, more informed decisions. Advanced capabilities ensure notifications are sent only to relevant users.
“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’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). “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.”
Voyent Alert! uses geospatial technology to send personalized alerts for emergencies and non-critical notifications related to the RDCK.
With Voyent Alert!, individuals will receive personalized communications based on preset locations. The feature enables RDCK’s Emergency Management team to communicate emergency information such as evacuation orders, evacuation routes and other critical information only to residents whose preset locations are within the affected zone.
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.
The RDCK Water Notifications will also be supported by the Voyent Alert! system. Residents who are connected to a RDCK water system will have the option to receive all water system related notifications.
