The City of Red Deer is working energetically to refine the Alberta enhanced emergency alert system, says a city official.
Karen Mann, city Emergency Management co-ordinator, says both the new Alberta Emergency Alert and the old Emergency Public Warning System, have been in operation this summer.
In October, the Emergency Public Warning System will be decommissioned.
The enhanced alert system, launched in June, better integrates with the latest digital technology to address the changes in technology as radio and television moved from analogue to digital, Mann said.
“The first time I saw it work was when we were getting all those severe weather warnings in early July,” she said.
She said the best aspect of the new system is that it leverages all the various types of media including social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
Mann said a handful of city staff are being trained to be authorized users of the new system.
“That would allow city staff to put messages out through the Alberta Emergency Alert system within the provincial parameters for Red Deer specific emergency alerts.
“As we move more into the system it should allow us to be more efficient and effective in the way we communicate with the public about potential emergency situations.”
She said the new system takes into account the new communication providers such as Twitter and Facebook.
“Those are systems which we find people are using more and more,” she added.
“People in Red Deer want to get information on the Internet and the social media.
“They want us to comment on things.”
Addressing social media and how municipalities can best approach it to inform their citizens is one of the hottest topics at seminars and conferences on emergency planning, she said.
Dana Woodworth, managing director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said Alberta is at the forefront of emergency warning systems in Canada and constantly strives to improve public warning in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Woodworth said the new model is an effective co-operation between government and broadcasters.
Local officials may also use Alberta Emergency Alert to issue both voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders when appropriate.
Alerts can be viewed at www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca and follow the links if needed.
Alberta’s Emergency Public Warning System was developed by the province as a result of the 1987 Edmonton tornado.
It was created in 1992 and warned the public of imminent danger.
The EPWS was the first rapid warning system of its kind to use media outlets to broadcast critical life-saving information directly to the public.
For more information, visit www.reddeer.ca or www.getprepared.ca.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com