Sign Up Now for Burlington's New Emergency Alert System

Have you ever wished there was a way for the town to communicate directly with residents about important issues, consequential upcoming meetings, and emergency situations? What if I told you Burlington has been using such an emergency alert system for several years?

In fact, the town has used multiple different community notification services, beginning with an 8-line manual system managed by the police department and transitioning to different systems like CodeRed as better technology became available.

The new system, RAVE, which went live on July 1, takes about two minutes to sign up for and can send alerts via email, voice, or text. However, the system cautions the user that it's best to sign up for all 3 to ensure you receive messages, since "not all alerts will be sent via all methods or preferred languages."

Though the principal purpose of RAVE and other alert providers is to get notifications to residents in case of an emergency, the town can and does opt to send non-emergency messages as well, such as alerts about events like the Civic Expo and meetings like the Elementary School Building Committee Meetings.

And if you're wondering if the new system will be more expensive to the town, fret not. Here's a statement from the Burlington Police Department's website about the reason for the change and the impact to the bottom line:

We became aware that CodeRed had some problems with ease of use and that most users of the system were hoping to find an improved service. After months of research in collaboration with all of the town agencies who regularly or occasionally use CodeRed, we found that RAVE offered the best alternative to the system. RAVE offers the same capabilities as CodeRed with some minor upgrades, a better and easier-to-use user interface, and an almost identical annual price point to CodeRed.

If you were a user of the previous system, you should have received a call in June in preparation for the changeover. Users can sign in and update their information via a web portal, and the Analyst at BPD can help those who aren't able to get online themselves.

Sign up for RAVE today and never miss a town-wide alert again.