Improved notifynow in Regina intended to complement other alert systems

For the second time, the City of Regina has launched its notifynow emergency alert system to the public.

It was launched on Thursday, and aims to send out public safety information to people in Regina about emergencies including extreme weather, evacuations, shelter-in-place orders, major fires, service disruptions, boil water advisories and more.

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Kim Olsen, manager of emergency preparedness and business continuity with the City of Regina, said the system can also provide essential updates in the aftermath of extreme weather.

“Notifynow is there to complement already existing alerts that might be sent out by other programs like SaskAlert,” she explained.

“If a SaskAlert was sent out we would give information to residents on how those impacts might affect them so that they can plan on their own behalf.”

The program was launched for the first time in 2016 in partnership with the Co-op Refinery Complex, which gave $320,000 over five years to pay for the project.

The first test in June of that year was delayed after a server crash.

Olsen said a few test alerts and other alerts were sent out with the system between 2016 and 2018.

“We took some time to reassess our approach and how we could make it better for the residents of Regina and so now we’re really ready to really have that impact on emergencies and help prepare residents,” said Olsen.

The program was reeled back in after 2018 and then piloted internally and used for alerts for city workers. Olsen said it wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the system.

“There was just room for improvement within a couple of different areas and we’ve done that now,” she said.

The city explained that improvements included refining procedures, improving communication scripts, updating technology, distribution groups and user access protocols, and enhancing training to ensure clear and accurate alerts.

For the past five years, the city has spent about $40,000 each year on the program and expects that cost to stay the same into the future.

The same system is already in use in Saskatoon.

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