Residents Encouraged to Enroll in Alert TC

Tulare County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) tested the Countywide emergency notification system, AlertTC, on Tuesday, April 8 as part of Healthy Tulare County Week.  The test was sent to landlines within the County, as well as to all registered users.

OES is encouraging everyone who works or lives in Tulare County to register for Alert TC.  Anyone can register at www.alerttc.com.  AlertTC is used during an emergency to deliver important safety information to impacted or threatened areas.  Types of information could include shelter-in-place instructions during a hazardous materials leak or law enforcement action nearby, or evacuation routes in the event of a wildfire.

Tulare County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau explained the importance of registering, especially for residents who only use cell phones. Alert TC currently utilizes a 9-1-1 database which is made up of landline information.  

People are going mobile and getting rid of those landlines, and there's no '9-1-1 database' for cell phones, Rousseau said. So, the only way we'll know how and where to reach you is if you register and tell us."

AlertTC has the ability to contact thousands of people instantly via voice call.  If a person registers, AlertTC can also send text messages, emails, faxes, and telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD) messages to any compatible device.

Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Phil Cox said registering for Alert TC is just one way to prepare for an emergency.  

"The recent earthquakes in Southern California and giant landslide in Washington should serve as a reminder that a disaster can strike at any time," Chairman Cox said. Being registered for Alert TC is important because, in the event of a disaster, it is a vital source of critical information from local public safety officials.  Depending on where you are when an emergency happens, AlertTC may be the first or only source of information to reach you before you find yourself in harm's way.

By registering with AlertTC, you control how messages from Tulare County your city may be sent to you, including preferences for voice, text, email, fax, and TDD messages.  You may also opt in to non-emergency messages and select multiple locations for which to receive alerts.  Each city within Tulare County - Dinuba, Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Visalia, and Woodlake - uses the AlertTC system for emergency notifications.

For more information, please visit www.alerttc.com, or call the Tulare County Office of Emergency Services at 559/624-7495.