Cedar Park Implements New Mass Notification Service to Help Keep Citizens Safe and Informed

Aug. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- The City of Cedar Park is launching the Blackboard Connect™ mass notification service today, to enhance communication and emergency preparedness. The first community-wide test calls are scheduled for Thursday afternoon and evening.

The City of Cedar Park is implementing the Blackboard Connect™ platform so City staff can notify, update and provide direction to the community in an efficient, timely manner. Using the Blackboard Connect™ service, City staff can record and send personalized voice message to home phones, businesses, local agencies and/or mobile phones in just minutes. The service also sends email, text messages (SMS) to mobile phones, and messages to TTY/TDD devices for people who are hearing impaired.

“This is another tool in our toolbox to keep our citizens informed about emergencies and important city matters,” Assistant to the City Manager Philip Rodriguez said. “This new notification system will enable City staff to send important notifications and updates through multiple communication channels, enhancing communication and further connecting our community.”

In addition to the City-wide calling and messaging capability, City staff can target specific groups or contact certain residents based on specific geographical locations using a mapping feature, sending messages to those within select neighborhoods when necessary. Examples of potential uses include water main breaks, neighborhood road closures, and emergencies.  The City can also send out municipal court reminders and other official notices.

Landlines in Cedar Park which are public should automatically be included in the system.  Mobile devices and e-mail addresses are not included, so the City strongly encourages all citizens to visit www.CedarParkTX.US or www.CedarParkPrepares.com and enter their information.  Hearing impaired citizens will have the option of indicating if they have a TTY/TDD device.  Those without Internet access should visit the public library where staff is happy to assist.  

“We want to encourage all citizens to visit our website and register their additional information so they can fully take advantage of this new communication tool,” Huerta said.

Citizens who do not receive a test call before Friday or who have difficulty registering their contact information online should call 512-401-5044. Citizens with call blocking services should add 512-401-5044 to their approved number list.  The City respects citizens’ privacy and wants everyone to rest assured that it will not share their contact information.

“Providing communities with timely, relevant information helps to foster engagement and boost connectedness,” added Ed Miller, President of Blackboard Connect. “We’re proud to partner with Cedar Park as part of the city’s robust communications plan, and look forward to providing officials with an efficient, reliable way to reach out to residents directly through personalized voice, text and social media messages, and more.”

For more information on the Blackboard Connect™ platform please visit http://www.blackboard.com/connect or contact the company at (818) 808-1462.
Additional Information about the Blackboard Connect™ Platform
The Blackboard Connect ™ platform allows officials to send thousands of messages in minutes, requires no additional hardware, and can be used from any computer with Internet access or telephone. This ensures that administrators can send vital messages from wherever they are located—even if they are evacuated. Additionally, officials receive detailed reports on contacts that did not receive a message, enabling them to follow up through alternative means as needed.
 
*Blackboard Connect Inc. does not sell, lease, share, or rent personally identifiable information (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) to any companies or persons outside of Blackboard or its service providers.

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