Frank Brocato
Frank Brocato
A couple of months ago, we had major winter weather blow through our area. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as the events of 2014’s “Snowmageddon,” but it certainly left behind some icy roads and treacherous situations.
I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who donated items to help with the warming station in Birmingham. A situation like that presents the opportunity to show what community and being a good neighbor really looks like. As usual, Hoover residents stepped up to the plate in a big way, and I wanted to express my gratitude.
This weather also prompted me to share a valuable resource with everyone, and that is the Everbridge Emergency Notification System. This program is offered through both the Jefferson and Shelby county emergency management agencies.
Everbridge allows the public to receive notifications via phone, text messages and emails about severe weather, flooding, road closures and evacuations. It also alerts users about other non-weather-related situations like emergency school lockdowns, missing persons reports and more. Residents can create confidential accounts and choose the type of warnings or information they would like to receive.
We used Everbridge quite a bit during the COVID-19 pandemic as a reliable, fast way to send information. But a lot of us have forgotten about it until situations like the one we had recently. It’s a valuable tool, and I’m grateful to our county EMAs for offering it.
If you’d like to sign up for Everbridge services in Jefferson County, you can do so at jeffcoema.org/emergency-notifications.
Residents in Shelby County can sign up at shelbyal.com/252/Emergency-Management-Agency-EMA.
We at the city will always do our part to keep you safe. But it’s great having other partners to join us in this effort!
