Emergency alert system rolls out across Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is rolling out an alert system to provide important information during critical events.

The new system will tell people about dangers that could damage people or property, including tornadoes, blizzards, boil water advisories and train derailments. The information is sent to radio, TV, websites, smart phone applications and Twitter.

"The Sask Alert system is a new system we're just rolling out across the province that will be able to provide immediate information to the citizens of Saskatchewan during any type of emergency," Duane McKay, the province's Fire and Emergency Management and Fire Safety Commissioner, explained. "[It's] an opportunity to get critical, credible information specific to your safety, and then you can take the appropriate action."

Terri Lang, a meterologist with Environment Canada noted that a recent study on injuries and fatalities related to lightning strikes reveals the importance of paying attention to alerts.

"One third [of injuries and death] happen ahead of the storm, and one third happened after the storm," she said. "So, what people are doing, they're not heeding safety soon enough and they're coming out too soon after a storm."

McKay said the time is right for a new alert system.

"Over the last several years we've seen a dramatic increase in the type of emergencies as well as the severity impacts on people and communities and infrastructure," he said. "We haven't had a system, until now, that has allowed us to immediately identify those incidents and inform the people with critical information that can significantly help them during those events."

McKay also described two levels of alerts that people may see:

• Level One: An immediate threat to life and property. These alerts will be issued through the Sask Alert system. They will be immediately broadcast to media and will interrupt programming as well as send out an alert online.
• Level Two: Where there's an immediate need to know critical information but there is no direct threat to life and property. A variety of examples includingroad work and bridges that are out of service. Those can be issued by municipalities or the province.

Regina is also developing an alert system and expects it to be up and running within a few months.

"The important thing with this too is it's not just the great big event," Regina's fire chief Ernie Polsom said. "We'll be able to isolate down to small pieces of neighbourhoods and the like. So if we have a fire in the neighbourhood we can push out a notice to stay out of the fire and away from the smoke."

The Sask Alert system will be in addition to existing notifications from Environment Canada.

"They will continue to issue alerts," McKay said. "Sask Alert ties it all together and in addition allows us to identify other events like train derailments, or other events like water issues, flooding. But not only would we build to each of those alerts but the municipalities will have access to it as well."

The system has been through a testing phase and training has taken place for a number of local governments, including First Nations communities. Work is also underway to ensure broadcast systems have automatic connectivity to the system.

• EXTERNAL LINK: Sask Alert website