Sedgwick County Emergency Management (SCEM) is expanding use of Civic Ready Alerts to include 17 more cities, in addition to the initial test sites of Wichita and Mt. Hope, according to a news release from the county. The free alert system notifies residents by phone or email of emergencies or important news in their area.
As of Monday, May 1, 2023, citizens can opt-in to receive messages regarding public safety, health, weather or other community bulletins from these cities:
- Andale
- Bel Aire
- Bentley
- Cheney
- Clearwater
- Colwich
- Derby
- Eastborough
- Garden Plain
- Goddard
- Haysville
- Kechi
- Maize
- Mt. Hope
- Mulvane
- Park City
- Valley Center
- Viola
- Wichita
“Civil Ready Alerts allows each city to customize what kinds of notifications it sends out and when,” said Julie Stimson, Director of Sedgwick County Emergency Management. “It’s an easy way to keep people informed of what’s happening in their own hometown, especially during times of danger.”
Residents can sign up for Civil Ready Alerts on the SCEM website, Emergency Management | Sedgwick County, Kansas. Citizens can specify how they want to be contacted – by email, text or voice call – and which notifications they would like to receive – from emergency and weather alerts to road closures and health advisories. By sharing a home address, residents can even receive alerts targeted for their neighborhood, through geo-fencing.
Notifications can also be translated instantly into 69 written languages and 31 spoken languages. Residents simply choose their preferred language when signing up.
“Civic Ready Alerts adds another layer to our warning system,” said Cody Charvat, SCEM Operations Officer. “We will still activate the Emergency Alert System on radio and TV when needed and send Wireless Emergency Alerts to your cell phone, but this gives us one more tool to reach residents who might be in harm’s way.”
