Hall County launches new emergency alert system

GAINESVILLE - With the approach of Severe Weather Awareness Week on Monday, Hall County has launched a new mass emergency alert system.

Hall County Fire Chief and EMA Director David Kimbrell said the Everbridge system allows the county to alert indviduals and businesses about everything from environmental issues to crime. And he said, the system works in cohort with National Weather Service forecasters.

"If the National Weather Service issues a thunderstorm warning or a tornado warning for Hall County, the system will automatically send that out," said Kimbrell. That type of emergency alert, he said, would not require any action from local officials.

Kimbrell said messages can be sent in a variety of ways, depending on what the subscriber prefers - cell phone, land line, text, email, fax or pager.

He said a subscriber can also pick and choose which types of alerts to receive.

"If you don't want to be notified about road closings, then you can take that off," he said. "There are several options that you can choose from."

Kimbrell said he and other county emergency officials looked at several different systems for citizen alerts and determined that Everbridge best suited the needs of Hall County.

He also said the system can be used by residents of other counties who might want to keep abreast of emergency situations in this area, particularly if they have relatives who live in Hall County.

The Everbridge System is available for use right now. Use the link below to sign up.