Town of Orange Joins CT-Alert System

For the past 8 years, Orange has relied on its own emergency notification system to alert residents and businesses when there is a public safety issue. The system has been utilized numerous of times since its activation. With the advances in technology, the system has become limited and the Town sought avenues for its replacement or upgrade. The Orange Police Department looked at various systems available and the decision was made to join the CT-Alert system hosted by the State of Connecticut.

There were several benefits to joining the CT-Alert system, the most notable is the ability to notify the entire town in less than 15 minutes! Additionally, the system uses the 911 database for its emergency notifications, so any Town resident with a landline phone will receive notifications. The software allows the Town to select specific geographic area, down to exact addresses, when sending a message. For example, flood prone areas can receive a specific message during an emergency, or an area affected by a hazardous spill can be notified based on the distance from the emergency. The system also allows the Town to notify first responders if needed for an emergency.

The system requires the residents to confirm receipt of the call, giving the Town’s emergency providers a list of who listened to the message delivered.
Another enhancement allows residents to register with CT-Alert and add devices to their list of contacts. Residents can request emails, cell phone and even text messages by simply visiting www.ctalert.gov and self registering. In our mobile society this allows residents to be notified, wherever they are, of an emergency that may be affecting their home.

Because the system is web based, there was no hardware cost to the Town and training is being provided free of charge. There is no fee for joining the system and the Town will see additional savings by the elimination of dedicated phone lines needed for the old system.

More information can be found on the Town of Orange website – www.orange-ct.gov/police