City/County Offering Phone Text Alerts
Posted on Friday, September 11th, 2009
The city/county office of emergency management has begun offering a free service that allows residents to receive phone text messages or emails concerning public safety emergencies in the county.
“It’s possible for me to send alerts for weather, missing kids and adults, advisories, pretty much any emergency that affects this area, plus community information,” said Tracey Smithwick, agency director.
Residents sign up through a website, www.nixle.com. The service requires either a cellphone to receive text messages, or a computer to receive emails. There is no service for landline telephones.
Sign-up is free for both the agency and consumers. Standard texting fees apply and are charged by the mobile phone provider.
A log of advisories Smithwick has issued in the past few months can be viewed at www.nixle.com by entering the name of the city, “Marietta.”
“So far, my advisories have pretty much dealt with weather, but I also posted an alert about the rerouting of traffic on I-35 due to an accident, and the day before Frontier Days, I sent out a message on that,” Smithwick said.
He has left flyers regarding the notification service at city offices, the library, and the hospital. Smithwick does not receive information on the number or names of participating residents.
The Office of Emergency Management is located at city hall in Marietta. Smithwick maintains an office website at www.cityofmarietta.net/mlema.html that links to the notification service.
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A separate alert service geared to school closings and school information, as well as local weather information, has been available for several years through Red River Valley REA.
A separate alert service geared to school closings and school information, as well as local weather information, has been available for several years through Red River Valley REA.
The service, Co-op Cast, is free.
The school controls the content of the alerts and can immediately advise patrons of school opening delays or closings. The alerts are posted in scrolling text across the patron’s computer screen.
The school may also issue information about school activities.
Dan Willis, REA administrative services director, said participating schools at this time include Greenville, Marietta, Thackerville, and Turner in Love County, as well as Kingston, Lone Grove, Madill, Ringling, Zaneis, and Waurika elsewhere in the co-op’s service area.
Patrons of these schools may launch Co-op Cast through the REA website, www.rrvrea.com. They do not need to be co-op members to use the service.