NORTH BATTLEFORD — A new emergency communication system is being launched by the City of North Battleford.
They are bringing in the Voyent Alert! smart notification service to send alerts to users about emergency situations.
The notifications alert residents to severe weather, fires, flash floods or for everyday communications such as water or snow advisories and planned city maintenance.
According to a city news release, residents are encouraged to download the Voyent Alert! app from the Apple or Google Play app stores, or register online at . It is free to all residents to download and use. The system is designed to work with either the app or with text notifications. As well, there is an opportunity to opt out of certain notifications, such as water notifications.
A test notification will be issued on the app by Protective Services in upcoming weeks. A communication campaign is planned to familiarize residents with the new system and encourage its use, including mailouts in the utility billing.
In his update to Monday’s council meeting, Director of Protective Services and Fire Chief Lindsay Holm explained the reason for the switch. Previously they had used Everbridge, an American-based company.
Because it was U.S.-based, they were "hard to get a hold of if we needed any advice as to how the system operated and was utilized." Another factor was that the system was not well maintained well and not user friendly. In fact, it was so un-user friendly that Holm said he even didn't know how to actually access the system.
Holm said he reached out to other areas and noted the Voyent Alert! was in place in many municipalities in Saskatchewan. He said other chiefs noted it was an excellent system that is user-friendly.
Another advantage Holm noted is that notifications can be sent from any smartphone, so "even if our EOC isn't activated, we can actually send an alert right from either the fire station or any of the users that are set up, and City Hall can actually send out an alert to our general public."
Overall the new Voyent Alert! system was seen as a significant upgrade. Holm said the new system should be able to communicate with city residents on an emergency basis and also with operations. He expects it will be launched soon.
