Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/136775
Sarasota News Leader June 14, 2013 Page 62 CITY DEBUTS NEW EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM The City of Sarasota has a new system in place to contact residents and business owners directly via landline, cellular telephone, SMS text message or email in cases of emergency notification, the city has announced. throughout the country," the release points out. The system utilizes commercial phone data to contact residents. Residents who have terminated their landlines and use only cellular phones might not be included in the calling The Rapid Notify system will enable Sarasota list, the release adds. city officials to contact residents with ongo- "Rapid Notify provides us with the advanced ing information in the event of an important communication tools we need to communior emergency situation, a news release says. cate quickly and easily with our citizens," said Sarasota will be utilizing Rapid Notify's geoMitt Tidwell, director of utilities for the city, graphic mapping capability to send targeted in the release. "The system enables us to prealerts based on location and proximity to such pare messages for use before, during and after situations, the release adds. events, which frees up valuable resources in "The use of this technology enables the City the event of an emergency situation." of Sarasota to contact a large number of residents in a very short period of time," it notes. Residents may sign up to receive emergency "The Rapid Notify system has proven worth- alert notifications at the online community while in providing critical emergency informa- self-registration portal. The sign up for Raption during events such as hurricanes, flood- id Notify is free, the release notes. However, ing, other severe weather occurrences and "you may be charged by your cell phone prowater service outages in other communities vider for incoming calls and/or data," it notes. Image courtesy sarasotagov.com