Burlingame Expands Community Alert System

More residents will now be in the know about what’s going on in Burlingame, thanks to an update of the telephone community alert system.

The Rapid Notify system, used by the City of Burlingame for the past four years, previously pulled numbers from the telephone company providing service to Burlingame homes to notify residents of important events. Now, residents can sign up for alerts on cell phones, work phones and home phones, using any carrier.

“Providing our community with information of current events in a timely manner is significant to our policing strategy,” said Burlingame Police Chief Ed Wood in a statement. “We want to communicate the information in a way that people want to get it.”

In addition to police, other City departments, such as Public Works, use the community alert system.  Messages sent through the system range from alerts about traffic, fire and gas leaks to construction and community events to severe weather and missing individuals.

When residents subscribe, they set up a login and password and can manage their accounts and opt out of the system, too.

“This is a very important implementation for the Burlingame Police Department, and the Rapid Notify system will greatly enhance safety, awareness and efficiency within their operation,” said Steve Sipe, President of Rapid Notify, in a statement. “We are excited to partner with the City of Burlingame in their proactive efforts to reach out to residents to promote and explain the importance of emergency notification.”

Click here to sign up for Rapid Notify alerts.

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