City to switch from CodeRED to Everbridge emergency notification system

This week, the City of Plainview, Texas officially announced that they will be transitioning to the Everbridge Emergency Notification System. An article from MyPlainview.com provides some insights into the decision, and serves as one community’s perspectives on the benefits of Everbridge.

For example, according to Derrick McPherson, Emergency Management Coordinator, “We have used the CodeRED Emergency Notification System in the past but we have found the Everbridge System offers better functionality for notifying the public. Different methods of communication, such as texts, emails, and phone calls will allow us to keep citizens better informed of emergency and non-emergency events as they happen.”

Read the full article below, and if your community is considering a similiar switch to a new notitification provider, I recommend taking a look at our “ENS Buyer’s Guide: The 13 Questions You Need To Be Asking Vendors.”

“City to switch from CodeRED to Everbridge notification system”

December 8, 2015, MyPlainview. com, By Homer Marquez

The City of Plainview moved to improve their communication with citizens after announcing they will change their emergency notification system from CodeRED to the more efficient and state-of-the-art Everbridge notification system.

Unlike the limited options available with CodeRED, city officials said Plainview citizens will have access to much more information.

The Everbridge notification system will go online Monday, Dec. 21 and will allow citizens to receive time-sensitive messages about severe weather alerts, hazardous environmental issues and potential dangerous events in progress. In addition to emergency response, the Everbridge solution can be used to provide businesses, residents and city staff with important information, such as power outages, street closures and water utility maintenance.

And the options don’t stop there, as the Everbridge system will even notify the public of community events if they choose. The new system will also open up many different avenues where alerts can be sent.

“We have used the CodeRED Emergency Notification System in the past but we have found the Everbridge System offers better functionality for notifying the public,” said Derrick McPherson, Emergency Management Coordinator. “Different methods of communication, such as texts, emails, and phone calls will allow us to keep citizens better informed of emergency and non-emergency events as they happen.”

City officials said teaming up with Everbridge will provide an online portal for residents to sign up for alerts, allowing members to provide contact information and specify how they would like to receive messages. The City also will be able to integrate data from its 911 system in order to reach residents and improve communications in the case of extreme emergencies.

With this new system, information can be delivered through several methods including landlines, cell phones, email addresses and text messages to ensure that residents, businesses and city staff receive emergency notifications in minutes. Integrated geo-targeting allows messages to be delivered directly to impacted citizens, based on location, selected streets, neighborhoods, or designated areas.

“The system allows us to target an area of the City for a specific purpose,” McPherson said. “For example, if they are working on water lines at 14th Street and Nassau, we can send notifications to residents in that area so they are aware of street work near their home.”

Besides notifying citizens, Everbridge provides the capability for City department managers to notify their staff of emergency situations or other upcoming events.

“We have a variety of departments and each one has a different way of communicating with their staff,” said City Manager Jeffrey Snyder. “Everbridge will allow managers to notify their staff in a specific manner – such as an emergency situation where all staff are needed, or to relay information about an upcoming employee meeting.”

The Everbridge system will cost the same as the former CodeRED system.

As the registration deadline approaches, the City of Plainview will be offering guidance on setting up your account as well as opportunities for citizens to sign up. For more information about Everbridge, please contact Derrick McPherson at 296-1185 or dmcpherson@plainviewtx.org.

The announcement was made official during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.