The City of Windsor is encouraging residents to sign up for a new municipal emergency alert system.
The system will alert subscribers to significant emergency situations in their neighbourhoods like large fires, flooding, or tornadoes.
Residents are asked to sign up for the alerts using their cell phone numbers, home numbers, home address, and e-mail address.
The Windsor Alerts system is administered through the Everbridge platform. The platform is used by many municipalities throughout Canada including in Essex County.
Any alert that is sent out will be vetted by at least two officials with the Emergency Operations Centre before it is sent out to the public. The information will include the type of emergency and details on any immediate actions that need to be taken.
Deputy Fire Chief Andrea DeJong said with flooding likely in the city's east end it is especially important those residents register as soon as possible.