Sep. 16—The Walker County Office of Emergency Management(OEM) is excited to launch a new endeavor that will aid in the safety of the citizens of the county.
"This new tool will inform our citizens of pending emergencies or disaster related incidents," said Sherry Pegoda, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator.
The app is free to download for Apple and Android users.
"The app went live Tuesday, Sept. 12, and has a push notification feature," said Pegoda.
The push notification is used for any event that could possibly be life or property threatening, such as fires, severe weather, gas leak, etc. Additional features of the app include a button to see the Trinity River gauge in Riverside.
This is valuable for citizens living in flood prone areas. Added features include access to information regarding tropical watches, power outages, road closures, local weather and emergency preparedness.
There is also a button for reporting storm damage to your home and property. This information is sent directly to the state and is sometimes used to determine the amount of financial assistance that will be designated for an area.
Another feature of the Red Alert app is the Functional Needs Registry.
This secure registry with the State of Texas and Walker County OEM is for the elderly and functional needy individuals.
The registry is used during critical times to stay in contact with the vulnerable population in the county to determine their needs during a disaster.
During an emergency the OEM office is staffed by volunteers and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members. These volunteers attend specialized training to be certified as CERT. The public is invited to call and get more information regarding volunteer opportunities.
The OEM has established a variety of networks to make sure Walker County leaders and community have critical information in a timely manner. The OEM Facebook page is also active and contains information.
For more information, contact the OEM office at 936-435-8035 or at 344 State Highway 75 North Suite #200.