Brookhaven Alert celebrates first anniversary

Brookhaven, GA, Sept. 4, 2019 -- Downed power lines…car accidents…broken gas mains ...fire … threatening weather. Life happens and when it does it is imperative that residents find out and find out quickly. That’s why Brookhaven Alert was created and why the number of subscribers has nearly doubled over the past year.

September marks the first anniversary for this valuable service and its success rate is all in the numbers. Over the first year, nearly 150 alerts were issued. That’s an average of 12 per month, or three per week. At least 61 of the alerts were issued by outside agencies such as the National Weather Service and all notices have reached the tablets, cell phones and computers of over 2,300 residents faster than turning on the tv or radio.

The secret to the alert system’s success is its ability to provide immediate notification and distribution of information. Past examples include a car accident blocking afternoon traffic on Peachtree Road, a structure fire closing a portion of Windsor Parkway, a downed tree taking out power lines on Sunland Road, even a gunman barricaded inside a home. In these and a myriad of other emergencies, the Brookhaven Police Department (BPD) spread the word quickly and efficiently through Brookhaven Alert, powered by Smart911, keeping residents informed on these and other potentially hazardous or dangerous situations.

“When there is an incident, we feel it is important to get information and incident updates out as soon as possible,” said BPD Sgt. Jacob Kissel. “We realize there is an urgency in keeping the residents informed, especially where a police presence has formed that could hold up school and commuter traffic. So, the more people who have this information as we are arriving on the scene and the event is evolving, they don’t have to wait until they hear it on the news media, which sometimes can be delayed news.” 

Kissel also noted that many times, by the time the media arrives it could be an hour or longer since the incident started before people start hearing about it. “As soon as we arrive on a scene that may be rapidly changing or if there is a hazard like a road closure, we are sending out the alerts and updates so people don’t have to search for it or wait to hear about it,” he added. “They’re not having to go to social media sites that may not be up to date or use media outlets that may have outdated information.”

Worse yet, Kissel recalled instances where people sometimes call 911 (which should only be used for emergencies) and ask questions, wanting to know what is going on, why are there so many officers in the neighborhood, or are they safe. Being able to disseminate the answers quickly is a tremendous asset to not only residents, but the officers on the scene.

How does it work? With Brookhaven Alert, residents and travelers to Brookhaven sign up to receive timely and actionable emergency alerts via email, text or voice message on their cell phones. They can also identify when and how they are alerted and communicated with before, during, and after emergencies. Residents can sign up today at www.brookhavenga.gov/brookhavenalert or by downloading the Smart911 app in their mobile app store.

In addition, when citizens sign up for Brookhaven Alert, they also have the opportunity to input their information and notification preferences on the secure Smart911 online system. Their information will immediately be available to 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.  Brookhaven Alert and Smart911 are private and secure, and only made available to the 9-1-1 system in the event of an emergency.  Users can opt in or out for non-emergency notifications.

While Brookhaven Alert is a boon to residents, the downside, according to Kissel, is that “we only have 2300 subscribers so far in a city with 55,000 people. That’s why it is important to subscribe so that we can let more people know what is going on when an emergency, or even a non-emergency, arises. It’s free and only takes a few minutes to sign up, so why not take advantage of this wonderful service?”

###