LYNN — In the event of an emergency, Lynn will text you.
Ahead of Tuesday’s snow squalls, the city announced the use of a new emergency alert system. Weather alerts, school cancellations, significant traffic delays and road closures, missing person information, emergency declarations, and emergency parking bans will be texted, emailed, or addressed by phone call for residents who sign up.
“We were looking at a more modern option in tune with how people get their info, which is usually over text,” said Paul Ricchi, emergency management director for Lynn. “The last 10 to 15 years, our old system was very landline-based and many people don’t have those any more.”
Rapid Notify was the city’s prior system and it was acquired by RAVE, Lynn’s new system, according to Ricchi. Residents can sign up for the immediate emergency alert system at www.smart911.com and download the Smart911 mobile device app.
“If you have an elderly parent that is not tech savvy, you can sign them up,” said Ricchi. “Even if you live outside the city and want to know about a snow ban, you can do that.”
The system is tailor-made to suit the interests of people who sign up, he said. People can input as much, or as little, information as they want and check the boxes for specific notifications they want to receive.
The system is free of charge, said Ricchi. There are currently 19,500 people signed up for the alerts, with a majority of the contacts having been transferred over from the previous service. Ricchi said he would like to see at least 100,000 people sign up, given that is a large majority of the city’s population.
Mayor Thomas M. McGee said the new service is a great opportunity for residents to get the emergency updates they need, as quickly as possible. McGee also noted any information residents put into the system is privacy protected.
“It’s important we keep residents informed,” said McGee. “There are so many emergencies we have had in the city in the last year, especially with all the flooding. The more residents sign up, the better our ability to let everyone in the community know the things they need in emergency situations.”
