With hurricane season comes a new emergency alert system in Vermilion Parish.
Emergency Preparedness Director Homer Stelly says these life-saving measures keep the parish residents safe.
“In case there is an emergency like an active shooter or a hurricane, a tornado, a flood, a gas leak, anything, any emergency in Vermilion Parish we can tell them the next steps to do like if they have to evacuate or shelter in place,” he said.
Called Rave, the new system replaces the previously used Nixle, according to the Vermilion Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The new alert system is designed for you to receive real-time updates from parish officials at no cost.
Parish-wide text alerts are available by texting "Vermilion" to 77295, or by scanning the QR code below with your mobile phone's camera. Town-specific alerts are available through the Smart 911 app.
City of Abbeville Digital Media Assistant Cristian Lejune says it’s not just weather related alerts, there are many benefits to enrolling in the new system.
““Those alerts are beyond just hurricanes or natural disasters. We can use those for a boil advisory or if there’s something major in the area going on,” she said.
If you don't have a cell phone, that's okay. Officials say anyone with a landline registered with 911 will still receive notifications.
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