FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – As FEMA sent a test alert on Wednesday morning, the Fresno County’s Sheriff’s Office said they can deliver the same type of alerts.
A shrill tone was heard as cell phones across the country buzzed with the first test for FEMA’s alert system.
About 225 million mobile devices across the U.S. received a test emergency alert at 11:18 AM.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency alert reading: “Presidential Alert, THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
“This system that FEMA is testing – we are actually in the loop with that, we have it here,” said Tony Botti, spokesperson for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Botti said they want Valley residents to know that they can deliver you these same types of messages as FEMA on a local level.
The Sheriff’s Office uses a software program called Everbridge to deliver local emergency alerts on your mobile device by calls or text.
“So, if say a fire was burning in the mountains, we could send out a message similar to an Amber Alert where it hits a radius if you’re in that zone where you get a message on your phone even if you are not subscribed,” said Botti.
You can sign-up for free through the Fresno County’s Sheriff’s Office website or this link https://member.everbridge.net/index/453003085614497#/signup
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
