FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ESQUIMALT, BC—The Township of Esquimalt is launching a new notification system that will alert residents—or anyone who subscribes—to a variety of critical situations that impact the Township.
Esquimalt Alert is a multi-purpose communication service used to send alerts to residents, workers, businesses and visitors during emergency events like fires or floods as well as for relevant day-to-day communications such as snow removal advisories, planned maintenance, water advisories, etc.
The Township will be providing emergency notification information for tsunamis, earthquakes, hazardous spills, significant fire or police incidents, and other large-scale events that will affect people in the area.
There will also be an option to sign up for more general notices: traffic advisories, pool closures and other convenient information.
“We’re excited to offer such a useful service to our residents and businesses,” said Mayor Barbara Desjardins. ”We want to ensure that the people who live and work in Esquimalt have the opportunity to receive critical information when they need it most.”
Users can subscribe through an app or online, choosing both through what devices and on what topics they want to receive the alerts. For example, someone could choose to receive tsunami information by phone call, text and mobile alert but choose garbage schedule information only by email.
Families can use Esquimalt Alert to flag their children’s schools, as well as workplaces and homes of family members, making the system customizable to individual households.
The free system launches at 11 a.m. on September 28. There will be a trial period for the first six months while the Township evaluates what topics resonate with users, and whether residents are using the system. The topics will be adjusted to reflect community interest and demand.
Those interested in subscribing on September 28 can sign up for their choice of notifications from their home computer, phone, or on location at the Esquimalt Fire Department open house running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More information at Esquimalt.ca/alerts.
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Media contact
Tara Zajac
Communications Specialist
250-475-7122