San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Declares SMC Alert Day

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA - From the County of San Mateo: The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors today declared July 25 as SMC Alert Day, an official proclamation aimed at encouraging residents and visitors to sign up for the free countywide emergency notification system which is now easier than ever to do.

The Board’s declaration at its July 25 meeting relaunched SMC Alert with a new logo illustrating the different ways users can receive timely alerts— cell phone, home phone or email — and two new ways to sign up for the service: scanning the QR code embedded in the logo which takes the user directly to the registration page; or, texting your five-digit zip code to 888777. Subscribers can also go directly to www.smcalert.info

“SMC Alert will be the primary means to receive accurate information during a critical incident,” said Sheriff’s Lt. William Fogarty, director of the County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). “OES, local public safety agencies and emergency managers encourage everyone to sign up today to receive information on road closures, fires or other emergencies. We encourage everyone to be prepared and the first step is being informed. OES is committed to making sure San Mateo County is resilient and making our communities safer.”

For nearly a decade, the County, its cities and its public safety agencies have used SMC Alert to help its residents and visitors stay safe and avoid hazards from natural disasters to significant traffic events. Nearly 60,000 people are enrolled in SMC Alert and OES is striving to hit 100,000 through the new sign up methods and an expanded outreach campaign. Cities are being asked to follow the County’s lead in declaring their own SMC Alert Days, with Daly City and Menlo Park already on board.

“SMC Alert is really an extraordinary and powerful tool,” said Supervisor David Canepa who introduced the Board proclamation. “When emergencies hit, time is of the essence and SMC Alert is a direct link between public safety agencies and our community.”

In the last 12 months, SMC Alert has sent 507 public notifications, according to data from OES. The use spiked in October 2016 due to an RV fire that shut down Highway 101 on the Peninsula in both directions for three hours. In January and February 2017 the number of alerts also peaked because of very wet winter storms that flooded intersections and closed roads with down trees and wires.

Image via County of San Mateo