In event of local emergency, City of Vancouver will now use app to alert public

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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.