Emergency Communications & Constrained Budgets

I heard the news Tuesday morning about California's 5.4 magnitude earthquake and instantly saw coverage on multiple communications channels - web, television, wireless, email, etc.  In today's world, information is instantaneous.  As I continued to read through other news of the day, there was a topic that wasn't a one-time event but a recurring one that we're all too familiar with - the budget crisis many states are currently facing.  In working with many government agencies, I've seen first hand how innovative leaders address the need for improved communication and services, while dealing with budget constraints.  They've done this by investing in solutions that are integrated with or complementary to existing solutions.

A good example of such an agency is the City of Riverside, CA.  The City uses an email alert system to notify its citizens of more than city information and services - it also sends out emergency notifications to the public and to its emergency operations CERT team members. In the case of Tuesday's earthquake, the city used it email alert system to immediately communicate with its 251 CERT members with the most up-to-date earthquake information.  Information included time of earthquake, location, CERT activation status and reminders to stay off cell phones and land lines.

Riverside utilizes its email alert service to update citizens on general topics and services, in addition to emergency related notifications.  Using existing resources like website content, they are able to provide more information and better service to citizens.  You can see the service in action by visiting their website at www.riversideca.gov.