Listed below are county, village, school and university notification systems for the Bluffton area

By Paula Pyzik Scott

When the Village of Ada made an emergency announcement regarding drinking water on January 16, the Village alert system notified subscribers by email and, a little later that evening, the Ada Police Department notified its subscribers via the Nixle System.

Such emergencies are rare, but when they happen, are local communities ready to notify residents? And are local residents ready to receive notifications?

Notification systems only work when residents are aware of them and choose to subscribe.

Messages are used to alert residents of the following kinds of incidents and conditions:

• Boil water and other water system notices
• Road closures
• Hazardous material release or risk involving truck, rail tank, storage tank or pipeline accidents
• Fire or explosion
• Air, train, bus or vehicle accidents
• Weather emergencies and natural disasters
• Criminal activities, scams, manhunts

With any system, there will always be people who are distracted or disengaged. Remember to share emergency notifications with friends, neighbors and family members. It’s always a good idea.