The City of Yellowknife plans to use a new tool to send emergency notifications to residents.
The municipality will use Voyent Alert to send notifications about wildfires, severe weather and local emergencies, manager of emergency preparedness Elizabeth Thompson said at a meeting of councillors on Monday.
“This system will be used for emergency alerts only,” Thompson said.
“The intent of this system is to provide clear, accessible, informative and timely information directly to the public as well as to increase the accessibility and reach of that information.”
Thompson said through the cloud-based service, the city will be able to send emergency alerts via mobile app, email, text message or automated phone call, depending on the options users choose.
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The notification system uses GPS technology and can send alerts to all of Yellowknife or specific neighbourhoods. Users can set the locations for which they want to receive notifications.
Thompson said the service is used in other municipalities across Canada including Banff, Jasper, Kamloops and Peace River.
She said implementing the new system is part of the city’s response to a review of how the municipality handled the 2023 wildfire season.
The city has posted more information about Voyent Alert and registration details on its website.
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Personal preparedness campaign
Monday’s announcement came during a presentation by city staff on work the municipality is doing to prepare for emergencies, including an updated community wildfire protection plan.
The city is also launching a new personal preparedness campaign with the aim of helping residents to be prepared for emergencies at the individual level.
“Resilient communities and individuals typically recover faster from emergencies because they understand what risk they could face, they engage in planning for the unexpected, and they mobilize their strengths when needed to help others,” Thompson said, adding that resilient communities also allow emergency response staff to better focus their resources.
Thompson said the campaign will include a personal preparedness guide, a home emergency plan workbook and brochures on emergency preparedness related to pets, Elders, people with disabilities and tourism operators.
The materials will be available on the city’s website, while printed copies will be available at this weekend’s trade show.
