Manhattan Village Board OK’s public safety messaging system

The system will allow residents and businesses to learn about local emergency and community events

A youth checks his smartphone Oct. 24 in Glenview, Ill. Local police may be tracking your cell phone. But they're regularly censoring information about how the technology ís used or how much it costs taxpayers.

Manhattan residents will soon be able to receive alerts about emergency situations or other types of local events.

The Manhattan Village Board approved an agreement with the Will County Emergency Telephone System Board, according to a news release. The agreement would permit the village to use the county’s mass notification system to communicate with residents and businesses.

The system can send thousands of text messages, emails and prerecorded voice messages in a few minutes to notify specific geographic areas of emergency situations, nonemergency events or other information.

“Public safety is a priority for me, and this is one vital way to communicate with residents on multiple levels,” Mayor Mike Adrieansen said in a statement. “This partnership with Will County allows our village to send both emergency and nonemergency information across all types of devices ensuring our residents have access to accurate and timely information as quickly and reliably as possible. I would encourage both residents and individuals who work in Manhattan to sign up online to receive these important messages.”

Use of the notification system will alert residents about a variety of events, ranging from road closures, water boil orders and other emergencies to more routine announcements such as fire hydrant flushing and local events.

Registration information soon will be available on the village’s website. Residents will be able to select how they receive messages, via their cellphone, text message, home phone, email and more to ensure real-time access to potentially lifesaving information.

Residents listed in the Will County 911 database will automatically be subscribed to alerts by phone, but the notification system allows citizens to self-register, provide additional contact information or opt out.