Beacon residents are now able to opt in to a new robocall system set up by the City of Beacon in order to quickly spread notifications in times of emergencies, unexpected road closures, snow closure updates, and other such messages.

Beacon residents may or may not be automatically subscribed to this Emergency Notification System. You’ll fall into either or both of these categories:

• Landlines: Residents who have a landline are automatically subscribed to this technology. Alerts, via robocall, have already been issued in the past, so you should have received emergency notifications already. Residents with landlines do have the ability to opt out. To opt out, follow this link to the city’s website, and register (create an account) with the system. There you will see a button that says “Remove Me Completely.”

• Cell Phones: Residents who have cell phones are not automatically subscribed, and need to opt in via the City of Beacon’s website by clicking here.

The Emergency Alert System is is powered by Swift911, a mission-critical emergency notification system that can reach thousands of people in seconds, according to its website. The system can send out notifications via email, text or vocal phone calls known as “robocalls.”

Ability to Target People Citywide Or In Specific Pockets Of The City

The robocall system can target smaller areas of the city for an isolated incident, such as a streetwide issue, or larger sections of Beacon. It can also send citywide updates. “I think it will be a good tool for us to get information out,” said Anthony Ruggiero, Beacon’s City Administrator, during his announcement of the new service at the 12/17/2018 City Council Meeting.

Example of How An Email and Text Alert Looks

In addition to the phone call you’ll get, a text and email alert will follow. They will look like this: