New mass notification system for Orange City

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New mass notification system for Orange City
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BY MORGAN RYAN

The Orange City Council has made steps towards implementing a new mass notification system for the citizens of Orange City. 

City council members decided on Jan. 14 to move forward with Everbridge, a mass notification system used by Volusia County and several cities surrounding Orange City, including DeLand and South Daytona.  

The city will be able to contact users via text, phone call and email, as well as provide social media updates. 

“The primary function of the mass notification system is to quickly alert people to emergency situations and direct them how to respond,” said Madie McCallister, Orange City’s public information officer. 

The decision to implement a mass notification system for Orange City follows an influx of citizen comment after Hurricane Milton. Mayor Kelli Marks reported that several people said they had no idea that certain areas of the city were flooded or inaccessible. 

The use of Everbridge for all Florida municipalities is funded by the Florida Department of Emergency Management, meaning that implementing the system should not incur any cost to the city of Orange City. 

Although Everbridge is typically used by government offices to communicate with citizens in emergency situations, Mayor Marks hopes that eventually the system could be used for more than that. 

She says that there are several Orange City residents that are not on Facebook, where city events such as Date Night in the Park or Movie in the Park are advertised. She hopes to eventually be able to use Everbridge to keep citizens informed of social events as well as emergencies.

“We’re moving forward to trying to get connected to our citizens and let them know what’s happening,” said Marks.

The implementation of the new mass notification system is still in the early stages, but city manager Dale Arrington hopes to have it up and running in time for the next hurricane season. 

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