If there is an emergency near your home, such as a fire, flood, or dangerous police activity, would emergency crews be able to alert you?

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

If there is an emergency near your home , such as a fire, flood, or dangerous police activity, would emergency crews be able to alert you?

The Longmont Department of Public Safety wants you to know that, unless you have registered for the Reverse Emergency Notification System, the answer may be “no”.



Emergency Communications Technical Systems Specialist with the City of Longmont, Ken Nichols explains that by default, only landline phone numbers are in the Emergency Notification System. If you do not have a landline and only have a mobile phone, you will not receive emergency notifications unless you have registered.



Even if you do have a landline, the Longmont Department of Public Safety suggests that you still sign up with the system. Registering allows you to receive emergency notifications even if you are not home, and you can choose to receive notifications for additional locations such as your office or child’s school. You also have the ability to set preferences for receiving email and SMS text alerts.



“What people need to know is that, if they’re not registered, we can’t reach out and contact them,” says Longmont Communication Center Manager, Kristine Mason. “And if two adults are in the same house, they both need to register,” Mason says. If only one person registers, the other adults may not receive an emergency notification if the first person contacted acknowledges the notification.



During an emergency, time can be a critical factor in people’s safety. Manager of Communications and Marketing for Public Safety at the City of Longmont, Robin Ericson, explains that relying on social media for emergency notifications will never get that information to you as quickly as the Emergency Notification System.



The City of Longmont uses the Everbridge notification system that is provided and funded by the Boulder Regional Emergency Telephone Authority (BRETSA). This is the same system used by Boulder County and the City of Boulder.



Registering can be accomplished by visiting the City of Longmont website at https://longmontcolorado.gov and searching for “Reverse Emergency Notification”. Sign-up requires you to create an account on the Everbridge website and then enter your contact preferences and location information.

According to Nichols, any information entered into the system stays secure on the Everbridge servers. It will not be sold nor used for any purpose other than emergency notifications.



If you are unable to sign-up via the website, you can contact Ken Nichols directly at 303-651-8566, and he can enter the information for you.



In addition to emergency notifications, the City of Longmont has also begun using the community engagement features of the Everbridge system. During community events, such as 4th of July fireworks, Cruise Nights, or the Boulder County Fair, citizens can sign up to receive text notifications about the events. You can sign up anytime by texting “ locoinfo ” to 888777. From there, you will receive notifications about how to sign up for information about events occuring in the city.



