notifynow alert system to test Saskatoon’s emergency preparedness
Saskatoon residents are expected to receive a notifynow test alert on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
The City of Saskatoon’s public safety alert program, notifynow, is used to notify the public in real-time of a public safety situation. The municipal emergency alert system will be tested at 1:00 p.m. as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.
“Generally, notifynow alerts are only issued when there is an impending, escalating or occurring emergency situation in the city and immediate action needs to be taken,” explains Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management. “Testing the system allows us to ensure the system works as expected.”
In the event of an impending or escalating public safety concern, notifynow will be used to send out a message to subscribers. When signing up, subscribers have the option of receiving messages by:
- SMS text message
- Voice call to a landline
- Voice call to a cell phone
Subscribers can choose one communication method or all of them.
“We really encourage residents to create an account and provide their contact information for text, email and phone for up to five locations in Saskatoon,” says Goulden-McLeod. “It’s also important for residents to check their profile on notifynow and make sure their information is up to date.”
The national emergency alerting system, Alert Ready, will also be tested Canada-wide on Wednesday, May 4, at 1:55 p.m. The Alert Ready test message will be sent via TV, radio, and compatible wireless devices.
For additional information about Saskatoon’s alert system, visit saskatoon.ca/notifynow.