Will we receive City Government arrest and conviction updates?

This should be a complete HOOT!

Quote:

..tax increases can be announced with this system as well.

Jersey City residents and those who work in city can register now for emergency alerts; system to debut Sept. 2

Thursday, August 19, 2010
By PATRICK VILLANOVA
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Getting Jersey City emergency alerts will soon be as easy as checking a text message or answering the phone.

The Jersey City Office of Emergency Management unveiled its new state-of-the-art notification system yesterday, which will soon provide instant updates on emergency situations, from terrorist attacks to water main breaks in the city.

The rapid mass notification and communication system will enable OEM to send voice, text and e-mail alerts to registered users, officials said yesterday at a news conference at OEM headquarters on Summit Avenue.

The system, which is provided by C3 Holdings LLC of Nutley, will become operational on Sept. 2, but Jersey City officials are already urging residents and people who work in Jersey City to begin registering online.

While the service is free of charge to users, standard text messaging rates do apply for those who register for alerts via text messages. The program is funded by a $350,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant.

"This is another way to make our city more productive, more in tune, more alert and certainly safer," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "We're happy to be able to roll this out."

Through a contract with Verizon, OEM will automatically send high-priority emergency alerts to all business and home hard-line numbers registered with Verizon.

Jersey City's contract with C3 spans two years, said the OEM coordinator, retired Police Sgt. Greg Kierce.

The service is not restricted to Jersey City residents, as the thousands of nonresidents who work in Jersey City are also encouraged to sign up.

The Nutley-based communications technology company also has contracts for similar services with North Bergen and towns in Bergen County.

In March 2009, the township of Teaneck fired C3, citing unsatisfactory performance and an interface that was not user-friendly.

Yesterday, C3 developer John Carrino said about the dismissal, "They went in a different direction when our contract expired."

To register for the service, visit www.jerseycitynj.gov or https://my.c3alert.us/jerseycitynj/home/welcome.