ATIKOKAN - The municipality has integrated the Canadian-made Voyent Alert System to serve as their day-to-day management operations to provide the public with up-to-date information on emergencies happening around the town. The town’s previous emergency response system was run through an app made in the United States.
Atikokan Fire Chief Graham Warburton explains that “there were no issues with that particular service: however, we were looking to find something similar or better in Canada. The Voyent Alert met those criteria.”
The choice to move from an American alert system to a Canadian was a strategic one. Using a Canadian alert system meant that the emergency response team would be able to work easier without having to deal with content that was tailored to the United States.
“Voyent Alert is definitely tailored their system to accommodate Canadian communities,” said Warburton.
The Voyent Alert App works the same way as most emergency response systems that other municipalities use; however, the benefits of a Canadian-made application means that the app is monitored and updated with accurate data that is tailored to the community it is in service.
“The program itself has the ability to send out any message that is of an urgent nature to the community,” said Warburton.
Residents who register for the app have specific options while using the app. They can receive an alert from any justifications that the Voyent alert system covers from wherever they are located. Users can select what types of alerts they will receive.
For example, Warburton explains that users can opt out of receiving notifications of water-main breaks, but still, receive notifications of road closures. However, users will not be able to opt out of notifications on disaster emergencies like forest fires or a major gas rupture in the area.
“Those you can’t elect out of it you have registered. They override your phone and you get a message like an emergency alert you get from the government which most people commonly call the amber alert,” Warburton.
Warburton has used the app a few times to notify residents. During the summer, a power outage affected the town’s water pumping systems at the water treatment plant. Those registered to the app were alerted about a town-wide boil water advisory.
“The administrators were able to do that on the fly,” said Warburton.
Another handy feature of the Voyent Alert System is that it enables Warburton to manage town emergencies when he is out of town.
For example, if Warburton was in Thunder Bay and he received a call from his staff about a sudden disaster. The Voyent Alert app allows him to notify residents seamlessly.
Moreover, Warburton is also able to manage his crew and stay in contact with municipal staff and council through a direct messaging feature.
“For instance, if our paging system was down for the fire service. I can reach out directly to just the fire service members through the alert app,” said Warburton.
Warburton describes that he already has templated messages at the ready for specific types of emergencies to help coordinate his emergency operation group. With a simple tap of his smartphone, his team will be able to respond to all types of emergencies happening in the town of Atikokan.
However, Warburton stresses that he doesn’t want to bombard residents with alerts about everything happening around town. The app will be used for emergencies only.
“The app is designed for matters of life safety and functionality within the community,” said Warburton.
To register for the Voyent Alert System, go to Atikokan municipal website.
