LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster County will have a new emergency alert system that will push information about extreme weather events or other public emergencies to cell phones and other smart devices.
LANC-Alert is the newest mass alerting system for public notifications in Lancaster County, developed by Regroup Mass Notification after county commissioners negotiated a three-year contract for $162,000. The mass communication company is based in Texas.
Brian Pasquale, the director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency, says the new alert system is designed to be multi-platformed as well as bi-lingual, offering 75 language settings to choose from.
“You can receive messages via text, via a voice call to a traditional phone, as well as an app that’ll be downloadable for our residents,” Pasquale said.
Notifications can also be received on a desktop, laptop, smartwatch, or another smart device paired with a smartphone.
The system allows for two-way communication.
“On the app, you’ll have the ability to respond to a message depending on which form we send out,” Pasquale said.
Alerts are expected to be sent out during severe weather events, like thunderstorms or snow squalls.
Residents who respond to an alert can also notify first responders of potential emergencies, such as downed power lines or entrapments.
“Getting information back from the field is a critical part of how we respond,” Pasquale said.
Residents can opt-in to receive messages by providing their contact information. No other personal information is needed, and people can opt-out of receiving messages at any time.
“The public alert system is meant to be voluntary, people need to opt-in so they can control the messages they receive, when they receive them, and how it alerts them,” Pasquale told FOX43.
Alerts may look like an Amber Alert on some smartphones.
The system is expected to launch in January 2024 with live alerts to follow shortly thereafter.