Erik Chalhoub here, with a reminder: It’s never too early to prepare for the worst. But it can always be too late.
The County of Monterey’s Department of Emergency Management began rolling out its new public alert system on March 8, following a series of tests in late 2023 to gauge its effectiveness should a real emergency arise.
It was a good reminder for me this morning to check on my account to make sure all my information was up-to-date. Turns out, my phone number and email wasn’t connected to the system.
Being a North County resident, I had received constant communication via text message about the Pajaro flooding in early 2023. But during the flash flood in Prunedale last week, my phone was silent, even though I live less than 15 minutes away from the affected area.
Somewhere along the way, my information wasn’t tied into the system, mysteriously disappearing as technology is apt to do.
My case may be an anomaly, and it was likely a user error at some point in time. But regardless, County Communications Director Nick Pasculli recommends residents check on their accounts at AlertMontereyCounty.org and make sure they are getting the alerts they need.
The new warning system comes from Genasys Inc., replacing the former Nixle system by Everbridge Inc. The alerts vary across the system’s capabilities, ranging from SMS text messages and desktop notifications to geo-targeted phone calls and pop-up wireless emergency alerts akin to AMBER alerts.
While the data from the previous system transfers to the new, with no re-registration required, it’s worth signing in to check out the new features. Residents can also set various locations across the county they wish to receive alerts from: their home, place of work, children’s school, even grandma’s house.
The new warning system coincides with the County’s new emergency website, readymontereycounty.org, which offers information on emergency preparedness, response and recovery resources.
“There’s no area that’s immune to the potential for disaster in our county,” Pasculli says. “This is an important step to giving people the tools they need in order to mitigate a disaster.”
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