CULLMAN, Ala. – On Wednesday, April 24, the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will roll out its new mass notification system: Everbridge Mass Notification.
During the January 2024 ice storms, the current alert system experienced small glitches, prompting EMA Director Tim Sartin to begin researching to find the most reliable and efficient mass notification service available. His search halted when he looked to other EMAs in the state; currently over half of the state’s EMAs use Everbridge Mass Notification for its reliability and capacity to individualize alerts for registered users.
“We had some issues with the current system and the ice storm earlier this year; that really prompted the (Cullman County) Commission to look for something that would not fail,” said Sartin. “With this system, we can use map integration and send multiple types of alerts at once; there are so many things it can do to help.”
Map integration is useful to isolate specific areas of Cullman County that are experiencing an issue, notifying residents nearby while avoiding unnecessary messages to the unaffected residents. Likewise, users can get a notification if their location is in a particularly dangerous zone of a storm’s path. When a natural disaster or emergency occurs, the ability to alert individuals of impending danger can save seconds and minutes, possibly saving lives.
Sartin shared about the new system’s features, “Sixty-five percent of all counties in the state use this. It’s known for its reliability; the new system can use a map and basically circle a city block and notify every resident on that specific block of an emergency. Let’s say a water main breaks – every resident that is in that mapped area will receive a notification to their house phone and cell phone.”
The current EMA Alert system will remain in effect until Everbridge Mass Notification takes effect on Wednesday, April 24. Residents can register by visiting https://member.everbridge.net/355009111785876/login.
Although mass notifications are a great resource to have in the event of a natural disaster or community emergency, Sartin said he believes that two ways of receiving information are vital. If one fails, the information is still open to one more channel of communication. Cullman County EMA has an app for tablets and smartphones that can also alert residents in the event of an emergency, and has a plethora of information on storm safety, shelter locations and other helpful information about emergency plans and preparedness. To download it, search “Cullman County EMA” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
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