will call, send text, or e-mail mobile devices
San Antonio today launched an enhanced and specialized emergency notification system called AlertSA, which will automatically notify you on notice if an emergency in your area will force you to evacuate or take other action, 1200 WOAI news reports.
“We can triangulate it and narrow it down to a block, or just half a block,” said Lawrence Trevino, the city’s Emergency Management Director.
Messages will sent to all standard voice and text communication devices which are registered. The emergency notifications can be made in voice calls, text messages, or e-mail.
“The most powerful tool. the most help that you can get, when your life is possibly going to be endangered by a catastrophe, whether it’s natural or man made, the most powerful tool you can have is information,” Police Chief William McManus said.
Currently, the city is limited to making what are called ‘reverse 911’ calls to land line phones only, but as more and more households phase out their land lines, cell phones and other mobile devices are the best way to make emergency notifications.
“This system will get you the information that you need to take the necessary precautions to protect you and your family,” McManus said.
So far the notifications can only be made to people in the area where they sign up. So if you sign up at home, the notifications will be made to you when emergencies affect your home. Trevino says he hopes new technology will allow officials to use GPS tracking to notify people who happen to be near the site of the emergency.
McManus says the system will be used to notify people in case of natural emergencies like floods and storms, as well as crime, fires, hazardous materials incidents and other situations which require a public response.
To sign up...
1) REGISTER ON LINE at http: www.alertsa.com
2) REGISTER BY MAIL at:
San Antonio Emergency Operations Center
Box 23339
San Antonio Texas 7822-0339
3) REGISTER BY PHONE at 3-1-1.
