notifynow sends public safety message, residents encouraged to sign up!

For the first time since the notifynow emergency alert system was launched in 2014 an alert was issued city-wide to Saskatoon residents last night. The alert was issued at the request of Saskatoon Police to advise the public of the escape of two inmates, both considered to be violent, from the Regional Psychiatric Centre in the city’s northwest.

“This is the first time the target audience for a notifynow alert was the entire City of Saskatoon,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management. “Last night, the request for a city-wide alert was made by Saskatoon Police and we were able to communicate that emergency message with over 55,000 contacts in a short period of time.”

notifynow provides timely, trusted and targeted public safety messages for incidents that require immediate attention by the public.

“There are a number of internal criteria that we consider when determining when and how we send out notifynow alerts to residents,” says Goulden-McLeod. “Saskatoon Police wanted to encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, so the decision was made to send the alert by email and text.”

notifynow messages help residents be better prepared and less vulnerable in the event of an emergency, be it city-wide or localized to one city-block. Residents are able to sign up using the method of communication they prefer to receive.

“We really encourage residents to create an account and provide their contact information for text, email and phone. We have roughly 272,000 people living in Saskatoon and only 25,000 who’ve gone in and signed up,” says Goulden-McLeod. “It’s also a good reminder to residents to check their profile on notifynow and make sure their information is up to date.”

The notifynow system is tested twice a year. The next notifynow test is Wednesday, December 4 at 10:00 a.m. To sign-up or to find out more about notifynow, visit Saskatoon.ca/notifynow or call 306-975-3210.