EASTON, PA – February 19, 2020 – The City of Easton has introduced a new mass notification system to help city residents, business owners, workers, and visitors stay informed and connected.

EastonAlert has been launched as a replacement to Nixle, the notification system the city previously used. Powered by Smart911, EastonAlert provides important notifications to people who register for it. Users can opt in to receive specific types of alerts that are of the most interest to them. Categories include:

• Winter weather alerts
• High water/flood advisory
• Refuse and recycling notifications – in the event of a delay in pick up
• Street sweeping notifications – in the event of a cancellation
• Siren test notification – when Lafayette College tests their siren alert system on College Hill
• General Easton alerts such as traffic, emergencies, and weather notifications

Notifications can be received via text message, by phone call/voice mail message, or by email depending on the user’s preference. They can also be translated into 48 languages for ease of communication.

Registering for an EastonAlert account through Smart911 allows the user to customize the information in their user profile so first responders, such as fire and police, can better help them in the event of an emergency. Types of information that can be stored in a user’s profile includes home and work addresses; people living in your household; pets and service animals; medication, medical equipment and medical conditions; vehicle descriptions; emergency contacts; property details, and more. All information is optional so users can choose what information they want to provide in their EastonAlert profile.

Registration can be done via one of three methods: by downloading the Smart911 app; by sending a text message to 67283 with the keyword “eastonalert” or by going online to eastonalert.easton-pa.gov.

“As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to improve its emergency preparedness and response capabilities, the EastonAlert system is designed to significantly enhance the city’s ability to communicate with residents, businesses, and visitors in the event of an emergency,” said Luis Campos, City Administrator for the City of Easton. “We want to encourage residents to register for this free service, as well as to use its notifications to help spread the word with their family, friends, and neighbors as members of the community.”

“With EastonAlert, the user is in control of how much and what type of information they provide when they set up their profile, and also how they wish to be contacted with alerts,” explained Frank Caruso, City of Easton Information Technology Manager. “It’s a more dynamic and customizable platform than the one we had been using and will be beneficial for the city and for the general public by helping them to be better informed.”

Learn more on the City of Easton web site: http://eastonalert.easton-pa.gov/info.

Questions can be answered by emailing eastonalert@easton-pa.gov or by calling 610-250-6684.

This service is provided for free and can be canceled or modified at any time by the registrant. City residents who had previously registered for Nixle will need to sign up separately for EastonAlert. Nixle will be phased out later in 2020.

 

Information Provided By:
Tracey Werner, Blabbermouth Communications
tracey@blabbermouthcommunications.com

 

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