DETROIT – At the Homeland Security office in Detroit, if there’s an emergency happening in the city, officials will have their eyes on it and start alerting residents with a new program.
These officials want to be able to contact as many people as possible at that exact moment who are in that same location to keep them safe - and now they can.
It’s called Detroit Alerts 365. When you sign up, you’ll receive text messages, phone calls, and/or emails when residents need to be aware of any potentially dangerous situations in their neighborhood.
The Detroit Homeland Security Deputy Director Hilton Kincaid said an active shooter is just one scenario where this alert system can be used.
“We can tell people, ‘hey, shelter in place,’ or we can tell people there’s a gas smell we know it is being handled. If there’s street erosion, if there’s a light that goes out and traffic needs to be diverted, if there’s a water main break -- that can be communicated,” said Kincaid. “It’s like the Amber Alert that comes through your cell phone. The problem is those things go out countywide. We may not need to notify the entire county.”
Now let’s say you’re signed up, you’ve confirmed that you live on the one side of town, but you’re visiting a friend on the other side of Detroit, and while on your visit, there’s an emergency. You’ll also get an alert to keep you safe in that neighborhood.