In event of local emergency, City of Vancouver will now use app to alert public
The City of Vancouver will now be using an app to send out public safety alerts to residents, visitors and commuters whenever significant local emergencies happen.
According to a news release on Thursday, the municipal-level public alerting system called Alertable is now available in the form of a free downloadable smartphone app for iOS or Android devices.
It’s meant to send out both critical and advisory alerts for emergency events affecting the city. Notifications can also be adjusted within the app as the user sees fit.
The city said that alerts may also be issued for significant emergencies where the public may need to take action, including major fires and hazardous materials.
The app is meant to complement the city’s existing methods for notifying the public of emergencies which include social media, updates to the city’s website and door knocking.
“Staying informed is an essential component of personal emergency preparedness,” said City of Vancouver Director of Emergency Management Daniel Stevens in the news release. “Alertable is one of the fastest ways we can reach people. Now, more than ever, we need to be able to deliver important safety information to people in various ways.”
The city also noted that Alertable is different than the existing Alert Ready notifications, which are part of Canada-wide system allowing government officials in each province or territory to issues emergency alerts, without the use of an app.
Provincial government officials recently came under criticism for failing to activate the Alert Ready system during the rainfall in November that closed highways and flooded Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie.
On Nov. 28, B.C.’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said that the province will now be prepared to use the emergency notification system as necessary in communities as weather-related challenges arise.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.