In an Emergency, will you be AlertOC? Laguna Beach Residents, Sign Up!

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Did you sign up for AlertOC? If so, you should have received a call on Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. for the countywide test of the program.

September marks National Preparedness Month, urging residents and businesses to prepare for the many hazards that threaten our daily lives and sense of normalcy – most often occurring in Southern California with little to no warning.

Often disasters occur rapidly, forcing evacuations and road closures to neighborhoods.

AlertOC, the County’s mass notification system, is a critical link for residents to immediately learn of any required actions, such as evacuating their homes during an imminent fire.

"On September 22 more than two million Orange County residents, including thousands of Seal Beach residents, received a call, e-mail or text message to test AlertOC," Seal Beach Police Department public information officer Mike Henderson said in recent release. "The drill replicated a large scale, multi-jurisdictional emergency requiring thousands of numbers to be called simultaneously across Orange County’s entire region."

This is the seventh annual regional test of the system and included 26 participating cities as well as the County’s unincorporated areas according to Henderson.

The distinctive feature of AlertOC is the ability for individuals to register multiple contact methods and addresses. Registrations of cell phone and alternate numbers dramatically increase the ability to reach the greatest number of community members within minutes. This enables landlines, cell phones and e-mail addresses to be incorporated into a single notification system.

Residents can do their part to prepare for emergencies by registering for AlertOC. For more information or to register alternate phone numbers or e-mail addresses, visit AlertOC.org.

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