Police, local government urge residents to sign up for online alert system
Cherry Hill Township and the Cherry Hill Police Department have partnered with Nixle to implement a new Community Notification System to alert residents in real-time for local emergency situations and relevant community advisories.
When residents sign up for Nixle360, they will receive trusted public safety alerts from both entities. This service allows residents to receive critical information on emergencies, road closures and other important local information right to their mobile device or email.
As a resident, there are several simple ways to register: first, text your ZIP Code to “888777” from your mobile phone, then proceed to www.CherryHill-NJ.com, and sign up via the Nixle widget.
Citizens of the township can also subscribe by texting “CHERRYHILLPD” to “888777.” Once someone creates a user account, he or she can select the types of public safety notifications they would like to receive and the method of delivery: text, email or landline. Landline would be for exceptional circumstances such as a missing child, according to Capt. Amy Winters.
Once registered, residents will receive a confirmation text to their mobile device. Residents may also customize their alert settings by going to www.nixle.com and creating a User Profile.
“With the vast majority of people having access to cell phones, we thought what better way to communicate with our residents than a communication system that will send alerts and notifications directly to their device,” said Mayor Chuck Cahn.
“In the past, we have communicated via our website and social media pages, but we realize not everyone has access or checks for updates throughout the course of the day. With this new system, residents will have the option to sign up for alerts and notifications via text, email, voice, social media, and through the Nixle Mobile App in an instant.”
Winters told The Sun in an email exchange that both the township and police department began using the Nixle notification system last month. Nixle debuted without any test notification to the general public, but within the police department itself, and it subsequently went live with the first messages transmitted on Feb. 20.
“The police department will utilize the system for emergency alerts such as a missing person or an advisory notification regarding road closures, weather related emergencies, etc. We will also use the email notification to advise residents of upcoming community events,” Winters added.
To register for Nixle360, visit: https://www.cherryhill-nj.com/1116/Nixle.
