City of Grand Rapids issued the following announcement on Aug. 29.
The Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) has launched a community notification system to alert residents in real time of localized emergency situations and relevant advisories.
The mass communications hub, offered through Nixle, is built exclusively for local governments to provide secure, reliable and relevant information. More than 8,000 governmental agencies, fire and police departments, schools and hospitals across the country use the Nixle notification system.
Community members may register for this free service by:
- Texting “GrandRapids” to 888777 from one’s mobile phone
- Texting a ZIP code to 888777 from one’s mobile phone for notifications specific to that ZIP code
- Clicking HERE to sign up and customize their user profile based on the type, times and ways they want to receive the alerts – available via text, email, online and social media
“The world is constantly changing, and we need to adapt the ways in which we communicate with our community,” Deputy Chief David Kiddle said. “These alerts allow us to reach a greater number of people, especially in an emergency situation.”
Kiddle said the notification system provides practical value in emergency and non-emergency situations and is secure, reliable and easy to use.
“A nice feature is a user can opt in for varying degrees of notifications, from an endangered missing child to school lockdowns to heartwarming examples of our officers serving our community,” he said. “This service will help us better connect and build trust with our community.”
Source: City of Grand Rapids
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