Municipalities gear up mass alert systems

Real-time warnings can be sent en masse to residents in the event of a disaster, and local municipalities are increasingly signing on.

North Saanich has just launched its emergency mass notification system, while the City of Victoria plans to roll out one of its own in May.

North Saanich is using Emergency Response Management Services Corporation, said deputy fire chief Steve Knapp.

Residents can sign up for free on the municipality’s website (northsaanich.ca) to receive alerts via phone, email or text message.

The system can be used to alert the public at the same time first responders are called out for emergencies. It can also communicate evacuation notices or other safety threats.

“We recommend all North Saanich residents sign up,” Knapp said.

City of Victoria emergency program coordinator Tanya Patterson said the city’s system is expected to be ready for National Emergency Preparedness Week May 7-13.

Victoria plans to use the Connect Rocket provider based in the Lower Mainland at an anticipated cost of about $5,000 a year, she said.

The system can also be used to communicate with residents in a particular part of the city in the case of something like a gas leak, she said.

“We’d like to get more information out and get everybody signed up,” she said, noting that Ucluelet already uses the same company, which has Canadian software.

Capt. Meagan Thompson of the Saanich Fire Department said the municipality is still looking at options and doesn’t have a timeline for implementation.

The technology available is changing quickly and privacy concerns are a prime consideration, she said.