Chesco upgrades emergency alert system

Posted by Press Release on June 8, 2015

A new mass emergency alert system is but one of the tools used by the Chester County Department of Emergency Services to keep residents safe.

The Chester County Department of Emergency Services (CCDES) announced on Monday, June 8, the upgrade of its mass emergency notification system. The upgrade includes a new identification, ReadyChesCo, which replaces the existing ReadyNotify brand, a county press release said.

ReadyChesCo incorporates greater technological capabilities and flexibility. All Chester County residents, businesses and organizations are encouraged to register immediately at www.readychesco.org to receive emergency alerts.

“Our residents’ safety is our top concern,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Terence Farrell in the release. “ReadyChesCo is used to notify all subscribers before and during a major emergency, and will deliver important alerts that are selected to be received by residents, such as weather, health or community notifications.”

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said the system allows DES “to contact thousands of residents and businesses in seconds, when seconds matter.” She said subscribers can opt in and opt out at any time for the types of alerts they want, but they must register to receive them.

ReadyChesCo’s flexibility means residents can choose to receive information ranging from severe weather information to road closures, and can also note any special needs information that is useful to emergency responders. Specific municipality information – notifications and news for residents’ local communities - can also be requested by individuals.

“One advantage of ReadyChesCo is the option of adding one or more ways to receive an alert,” said Commissioner Michelle H. Kichline. “By adding different contact methods to a registration, the emergency message will be sent to all of them in the pre-selected order.”

ReadyChesCo, director of CCDES, said the new system reinforces the county’s commitment to keeping residents safe. “To uphold this, when critical information and public service announcements are available, we need to reach our residents as quickly and reliably as possible,” he said.

Subscribers to Chester County’s previous notification system, ReadyNotifyPA, will be instructed to register on ReadyChesCo by visiting www.readychesco.org. For more information on ReadyChesCo, go to www.chesco.org/des.