The Cariboo Regional District is making changes to the Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System.
The contract with Everbridge, the current notification provider ends Feb. 15, 2024 and the District will be switching to the Voyent Alert platform to send push notifications directly to residents impacted by an evacuation alert or order, utility service disruptions and other emergency alerts.
“Nothing is really changing, we’re just changing the provider,” said board chair Margo Wagner, adding that during the Dec. 8 board meeting she was surprised to hear there were only 20,000 registered users of the system.
“And unfortunately, a lot of them will be duplicates because with Everbridge you had to create a password and people can’t remember what the password is so then they register again or they can’t remember if they registered two years ago.”
While cost appears to be the main reason for the change, the need for a password has been frustrating for residents and the fact that there can be duplicate accounts. Voyent will not require a password and will pick up that a person is already registered and will let them know.
In the past when there has been an emergency situation people have found the emergency alert system very helpful, said Wagner.
A test of the new platform will be conducted in early 2024 to try the new system out and ensure that contacts are transferred over.
Because all current subscribers will be transferred onto the new platform, no immediate action on their part is required. Anyone who is signed up for the system will be encouraged to manage their account and ensure that contact information and notification locations are current.
Residents who are not signed up for the emergency notification system can still do so although Wagner said they may want to wait.
“I would wait till the new system is in place but we’re going to start getting everything transitioned February-March 2024, and there will be a test alert in 2024,” said Wagner.
To sign up, visit the regional district’s website. Registered accounts will be transferred from Everbridge to Voyent Alert starting in January 2024. Any registrations received after that date will be for the new Voyent Alert system.
The Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System is operated in partnership with the Cariboo Regional District, District of 100 Mile, City of Quesnel, District of Wells, and City of Williams Lake.
This partnership was first formed in 2015 and has resulted in thousands of critical notifications reaching residents throughout the region about service disruption notices and emergency notices impacting them.
