Watertown Residents Can Sign up for Emergency Alerts from Town, Schools

Residents can get alert about Hurricane Sandy, and other emergencies, as well as school closing messages on their cell phones, land lines, computers and more by signing up for Watertown ALERT.

The system, which was first tested last year during Hurricane Irene and phased in early this year sends residents messages about severe weather, fires, floods, toxic environmental issues and other emergencies.

Messages can be sent to residents on any communication path desired - cell phone, home phone, email, text messaging, fax, pager, PDA and more. Residents can sign up to tailor the way they receive information, or to opt out of receiving the alerts, said Watertown Fire Chief Mario Orangio. Residents who do not sign up and have listed phone numbers will receive notifications to their residences automatically, he said.

For up-to-the-minute news on this and other stories follow Watertown Patch on Twitter and Facebook or subscribe to the free email newsletter.

The Town also plans to use the system to notify residents about other important activities, such as road closures, water utility maintenance and other important non-emergency information, Orangio said.

Residents can sign up for Watertown ALERT by visiting www.watertown-ma.gov and clicking on the "Watertown Alert Notification Sign Up" button, on the left side, or go to the sign up page directly, here https://ww2.everbridge.net/citizen/EverbridgeGateway.action?body=home&gis_alias_id=940771.