From staff reports
The City of Franklin will launch its new free community alert system, Rave Alert, on Monday.
The system will provide fast, reliable information to help people navigate Franklin streets when construction projects or crashes result in road closures, according to a press release from the city.
The system will also be used to spread the word about emergencies that could require an immediate response by city residents, the press release said.
“Rave Alert will help us stay connected to our residents and provide critical communication when it’s needed the most,” said Timothy Dunkle, chairman of the Franklin General Authority.
“We can let people know when a service disruption occurs and provide an estimate about when residents can expect the problem to be fixed,” Dunkle added.
Michael Gorman, who coordinated the project, said “we hope it won’t ever be necessary, but Rave Alert also will give us the tools we need to let people know when a major disaster or crisis situation may occur.”
“While no system is 100% fool-proof, we hope that this system will go a long way in serving our residents by providing important information in a timely manner,” said city manager Tracy Jamieson.
When planned construction work begins, the Rave system can be used to alert residents to road closures or detours.
“Our city staff stays extremely busy, but it’s important we do our best to let citizens know how their lives may be impacted. I’m very excited about the ability to offer residents another way to stay up to date by using the Rave notification system,” Franklin City Council member Christian Marshall said.
“It’s frustrating to find out a project has started without any heads-up,” Marshall added. “This system will hopefully alleviate some of those headaches and help improve communication on the city’s part.”
To sign up for the new system, visit www.franklinpa.gov/alert.
To help residents who may have difficulty with the sign-up procedure, two help sessions are planned next week at City Hall.
City staff will assist residents in registering for Rave Alert from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 13.
