AST Digital Magazine September 2017 AST Digital Magazine September 2017 | Page 63

Volume 16
Protecting Vulnerable Populations During Severe Weather in Suffolk County , New York
September 2017 Edition
Located in the Midwest , an area particularly susceptible to severe weather , the city primarily uses the technology to coordinate internal resources and notify communities of dangerous weather conditions such as tornadoes .
The technology is also used heavily for internal communications to alert individuals of severe weather and closures .
Since Suffolk County , NY became a Rave Alert customer , the county has experienced several severe weather events including superstorm Sandy and snowstorm Nemo , during which Rave ’ s technology was instrumental in saving lives .
“ By using Rave ’ s technology , we can notify the most at risk individuals in specific geographic locations to alert them of what ’ s coming their way ,” said Joel Vetter , chief emergency support services for Suffolk County , Department of Fire , Rescue and Emergency Services ( NY ).
“ Making the switch to Rave Alert seemed like the best option for our community ,” said Mary Ann Agler , telecommunications supervisor for the North Platte Police Department .
“ We primarily use Rave Alert for internal communications and weather notifications . Integrating this new technology was seamless with the help of the Rave team .”
“ In Suffolk County , we ’ ve had great success leveraging Rave ’ s two-way communication functionality . Through that technology , we ’ ve seen a better prepared community for emergency situations .”
“ Without this technology citizens would not have otherwise been aware of , and taken action .”
Coordinating Resources with Internal Notifications as Severe Weather Strikes in North Platte , Nebraska
North Platte , Nebraska added Rave Alert to its platform in 2016 .
( See how , in seconds , Rave Panic Button clearly communicates an emergency to 9-1-1 , faculty , staff , and security resource officers . Courtesy of Rave Mobile Safety and You-
Tube )
To make it easier to transition from a previous provider to Rave Alert , Rave created the Head Start Transition Package .
With a courtesy transition period of three-to-six months , communities can leverage this time to set-up and train all employees prior to launching , promote the new system to current alert registrants and import all essential information from a previous vendor .
This seamless transition offering also includes a community outreach package with tools to drive