NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Mayor David Briley today announced new technology that will allow Metro’s public safety agencies to directly communicate to the people of Nashville in times of emergency through texts and phone calls.
The Metro Emergency Alert & Notification System (MEANS) will allow emergency officials to send messages to Nashvillians for events such as flooding, public health emergencies or active shooter situations.
“It’s my duty as Mayor to ensure that everyone in our city feels safe,” said Mayor Briley stated in a press release. “MEANS will complement and enhance the existing methods of communication for our public safety agencies and will help people in Nashville when there is an emergency. I encourage everyone to sign up for it.”
“This is an important way for us to keep the community updated on incidents happening in Davidson County,” said Nashville Fire Department Chief William Swann. “This service is controlled by Metro Government and communicates directly to the public, without a middleman. Residents and visitors can feel confident that when they receive alerts, they are getting accurate information straight from a Metro public safety agency.”
The service is free and residents can sign up on the MEANS Portal.
Once registered, users can choose how they want to receive communications: a call to a landline, a call to a cellphone, an email or a text. Residents are also encouraged to download the Everbridge Mobile App. The Everbridge app brings the added security of delivering alerts to cell phones based on a user’s physical location at the time of an emergency.
MEANS is operated by Metro public safety departments and administered by the Metro Information Technology Services Department. Neither Metro Government nor Everbridge will ever sell or use confidential MEANS registration information for any other purpose than alerts to the public.
Partners in MEANS include the Department of Emergency Communications, the Emergency Communications District Board (ECD), Nashville Fire Department, the Office of Emergency Management and Metro Nashville Police Department.
