DELCO Alert - Delaware County Emergency Notification System
Whether it’s a severe storm, an Amber alert or a threat to your home or business – Delaware County residents now have an upgraded notification system where they can receive emergency notices through their phones, email and mobile devices. Delaware County Council announces its enhanced emergency notification system – still called DelcoAlert -- and urges all residents to register to receive alerts regarding a variety of announcements from severe weather to public health concerns. Delaware County transitioned from the previous system, ReadyNotifyPA hosted by RSAN, to a system powered by Everbridge. The enhanced emergency notification system, called Delaware County Community Alert System, or Delco Alert, is an enhanced tool to ensure public safety at the highest level in the community. “The safety of our residents is a top priority” said Delaware County Director of Emergency Services Tim Boyce. “Delco Alert is a mass notification system that will alert our residents before, during and after a major emergency. We have the ability to instantly contact thousands of our residents when minutes and even seconds matter.” Delaware County is one of five suburban counties using the Everbridge notification system, funded through Homeland Security. People can enroll in Delaware County’s DelcoAlert system in addition to the systems of other counties. “We really encourage residents and businesses to take advantage of this emergency system. This type of alert that pops up on your phone, email or tablet is extremely helpful during a severe storm we just endured in Delaware County,” Boyce said. “People get warnings, road closures, missing person reports and other critical information. ”DelcoAlert continues to be a free service. It’s simple to register. Sign Up Today! They register for the alerts they are interested in, and the devices they want to include in the notification process.
The enhanced system incorporates greater technological capabilities and flexibility. The new system will allow users to set up a preferred method of receiving alerts in a pre-selected order. The notification will be sent to all devices, from text and voicemail to email, in the order preferred by the user and stop when the user acknowledges receipt. The type of notifications is greatly expanded. Municipalities and school districts can also use the DelcoAlert system. “The way people receive information is constantly changing and evolving,” Boyce said. “The County is committed to ensuring public safety and the most effective emergency response possible. In a mass emergency, we want to reach our residents as quickly and reliably as possible.” Subscribers can opt in and opt out at any time for the types of alerts they want to receive. “The success of DelcoAlert is made possible when the majority of our residents take advantage of it,” Boyce said. “An informed citizenry definitely improves public safety.”