County upgrades emergency alert system from Nixle to Everbridge

The county announced last week that they have upgraded their emergency alert system and are no longer using the Nixle Program. If you were previously receiving emergency alerts from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and would like to continue receiving alerts, or if you weren’t previously but would like to start receiving alerts, you can create an account and register at www.washtenaw.org/alerts. Nixle subscribers will not be automatically transferred to the new system and need to re-register with the new program.

Washtenaw County has moved over to using the Everbridge emergency notification system to alert residents about a variety of events, ranging from severe weather, hazardous materials incidents, floods, and other emergencies, to more routine announcements, such as road closures and other public safety messages. Messages will be sent to residents on their preferred contact method including cell phone, SMS, home phone, email, fax, pager, and more—to ensure real-time access to potentially lifesaving information.

“We are committed to ensure public safety, community awareness and emergency response for the residents and businesses in Washtenaw County,” said David Halteman, Director of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Services Division. “The Everbridge emergency notification system allows the County to disseminate this information across all types of devices, ensuring residents have access to real-time public information when they need it the most.”

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.