SPOKANE, Wash. – Most residents in the Greater Spokane area have not opted into an essential emergency alert system, according to Spokane Emergency Management. This system, Alert Spokane, has been available for nearly a decade.
Alert Spokane provides notifications by phone or email about wildfires, missing vulnerable persons, hazmat situations, or law enforcement activity in the area. However, only 10 percent of the Greater Spokane area is currently signed up. This low participation complicates alerting residents during wildfire season.
Simone Ramel-McKay from Spokane Emergency Management emphasized the importance of registration. “We need them to register because if they’re not at home and there is a fire at or near their home, there is no way for us to contact them easily,” she said.
Ramel-McKay added, “We would love people to register because the more people we can reach the better chance we have to help you in a situation when your safety is at risk.”
Residents can register for Alert Spokane by visiting scem.org and clicking on the “Alert Spokane” picture at the top of the page. Alternatively, they can visit alertspokane.org and click “Register.”
