Alachua County has broadened its countywide emergency management system to add precautions that will warn residents faster in the event of a disaster.
The Emergency Alert System now gives the president, state government and local government the ability to broadcast about natural and man-made disasters or life-threatening situations, according to a county press release.
This is the first time Alachua County will have direct access to the system. Previously, the county had to contact the National Weather Service in Jacksonville to get updates about severe weather, said Dave Donnelly, county emergency management director.
He said employees have been through training, and all proper paperwork has been filled out to allow Alachua County direct access to the emergency system.
After Sept. 11, there needed to be a way for the president to contact the whole nation simultaneously, he said.
The Emergency Alert System can only broadcast through television and radio.
In case of an actual emergency, a website and phone number are given to citizens for direction on what to do.
The system has been around since the 1950s, but due to technology issues and an outdated platform, it was unavailable to the county.
Alachua County updated its system, which allowed officials to tap into the Emergency Alert System.
Another way for citizens to get information in cases of an emergency is the CodeRED system.
CodeRED allows people to sign up to receive the same notifications the Emergency Alert System sends. It will send information through subscribers’ mobile and home phones, email and hearing-impaired systems.
“In this day and age, everyone has a cellphone on them,” said Mark Sexton, county spokesman.
The system, combined with CodeRED, allows more people to be reached in cases of emergency, Donnelly said.
