County Institutes New Emergency Alert System

Moorpark is among the cities in Ventura County participating in a new emergency alert system wherein residents can register to receive emergency information from the county, city and various emergency response organizations.

On Jan. 3, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services launched the new VC Alert Emergency Notification System to deliver alerts when there is a threat to residents. The new VC Alert replaces the Reverse 911 system deployed in 2008.

The new system has the ability to contact thousands of residents instantly through home, business and cellular telephones, text messaging, email, fax and instant messages and can deliver 100,000 simultaneous messages.

“With improvements in technology, upgrading to a more advanced emergency notification system was a natural step in continuing our commitment to disaster preparedness and response in Ventura County,” said Laura Hernandez, Assistant Director for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, in a statement issued by the Sheriff's Department.

In addition to emergency information, residents may also choose to get community messages regarding crime alerts, road closures, public meetings and other community events. They may also select multiple locations about which they want to be contacted (a parent's home, work place or child's school, for example).

The service, which is free to residents, cost $97,900 to implement for 2012 and will cost $85,400 per year and is being provided by Everbridge, which serves organizations in more than 100 countries. The initial cost is being paid for by a State Homeland Security grant program and the follow-up cost will be divided and paid for by the nine participating cities (Moorpark, Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks and Ventura) and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County.

To register for the service online, visit the VC Alert website.