Alert SA App Improved to Inform Residents

More emergency information and alerts are available through the expanded Alert SA app, helping to ensure South Australians head into summer safely.

Previously dedicated to wildfires, the updated app now includes alerts for severe weather, heat waves, urban fires, floods and hazardous materials, bringing together the state’s emergency agencies on a dedicated multi-hazard platform.

Users can access timely information on fire danger ratings, total fire bans, emergency services websites and vital ways to prepare for an emergency.

In the app, up to 10 Monitoring Zones can also be created for areas of interest (where push notifications are received about events and alerts specific to that location).

Within the scope of the improvement launched this week, cross-border fire warnings feature is offered for the first time, by issuing notifications regarding fire warnings within 100 kilometers of neighboring state and territory borders.

The new modern design, custom start screen, and support for large text and voice-over options further improve accessibility and make the app easier to use.

Extensive community consultations, including the YourSAy survey, as well as feedback from government and non-governmental organizations, helped shape the improved app.

The Alert SA app is a State Government initiative and is the only government-approved alert and warning app in South Australia.

The app has been downloaded more than 380,000 times since 2019 and over 140 million notifications have been sent for more than 17,000 bushfire events, alerting communities to emerging emergencies in SA and providing them with information on how to respond.

A summer campaign will take place using online, print, radio and social media to promote the changes and encourage the public to ‘Beware of Danger’.

The latest version of Alert SA can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

As Dan Cregan points out

Transforming this app into a multi-hazard platform will give South Australians critical information to help them stay safe in different emergency situations.

Expanded capabilities and improved user accessibility allow the community to be informed along with other information sources and channels.

As stated by SAFECOM Chief Executive Julia Waddington-Powell

We are pleased to introduce the improved Alert SA mobile application. These improvements will enable the South Australian community to be provided with timely information covering a wider range of hazards during emergencies. This will enable people to make informed decisions to stay safe.

SAFECOM is proud to have worked closely with the SA Country Fire Service, SA Metropolitan Fire Service, SA State Emergency Service and other key stakeholders to develop a mobile application that provides multi-hazard information.

As CFS Vice President Georgie Cornish puts it

It’s important that people don’t rely on just one source of information in an emergency, and the Alert SA app helps you stay safe in an emergency by providing an important additional way for you to receive timely updates on bushfires and other hazards.

I encourage all South Australians to immediately download the Alert SA app and set up Watch Zones to receive push notifications of incidents occurring in specific areas of concern.

As SES Chief Officer Chris Beattie puts it

SES welcomes the inclusion of our alerts and incidents in the enhanced Alert SA app.

This is the first time SES alerts and events will be included in this app since its launch in December 2019; This makes the app a single point of information where the public can stay up to date on the latest storm, flood and heatwave warnings and events. CFS and MFS.

By including SES alerts and events, it provides another channel through which we can distribute critical information to the public to ensure public preparedness and safety before, during, and after emergencies.

While this app will provide a single source of information, SES reminds the community not to rely on any single source of information in emergency situations. Stay tuned for other channels, including SES social media and website, news broadcasts on TV and radio, and more.

/Public News. This material from the source organization(s) may be point-in-time and edited for clarity, style, and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).