WORCESTER—ALERTWorcester is back online after a hiatus prompted by a cybersecurity breach in the city’s previous alert system, with officials saying the revamped platform offers improved security and new features for residents.
The Worcester City Council received an update on the relaunch from Department of Emergency Communications and Management Director Charles Goodwin, who said the new system went live Friday, March 20, and has already drawn more than 400 registrations.
Among the new features is the ability for residents to choose what non-emergency notifications they receive from the city, as well as how they receive them, including text messages, emails or voice calls to landlines.
“In the previous system, you got every non-emergency alert that went out,” Goodwin said. “Now, we have lists set up so you can enroll and unenroll at any time to whichever lists you want, like trash and recycling notifications or delays, street work being done, notifications for parking bans and winter emergencies, weather alerts and things like that.”
Commissioner of Public Works John Westerling said the expanded options will help residents receive more relevant information.
“There are options for folks to sign up for notices for road closures, traffic issues, construction issues, and delays in [leaf] collection,” Westerling said. “We use social media, we use the website, but when you can get a personal notification about something that’s important to you I think that’s the best way that we can communicate to our residents.”
Goodwin also highlighted improved geo-coding capabilities, allowing the city to send alerts only to residents in affected areas.
It’s also easier to sign up. Residents can text “JoinAW” to 65513 to automatically enroll and receive a link to complete their user profile, including selecting which alerts to receive.
Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King said the absence of the alert system created anxiety among residents and asked what would happen if another breach were to occur.
“Is there an alternative method, or mechanism, or technology that would be immediately put in play, while we’re dealing with those challenges?” King said.
Goodwin said the new system includes data backups designed to minimize downtime.
“We’d be able to quickly implement a new system, were that to ever occur again,” he said.
Responding to King’s question about how the system ties into the city’s broader emergency efforts, Goodwin said alerts could be used for weather warnings, including extreme cold or heat, and would direct users to additional information on the city’s website or other resources.
“This would have been perfect for this past winter,” Councilor Tony Economou said, urging residents to sign up.
“It’s the most comprehensive program I’ve seen the city come out with, in alerting the residents and businesses about what’s going on, and I think this will be a game-changer for the city of Worcester.”
Councilor Satya Mitra thanked Goodwin and his department and asked whether residents previously enrolled in the old system would need to sign up again.
Goodwin said some data from the previous system was recovered but was outdated by more than a year and did not allow residents to choose notification preferences, making new registrations necessary.
“The program looks so good, and it’s so essential, I think everyone in the city should sign up for it,” Mitra said, asking the city to also reach out to seniors who may benefit from assistance using the system.
“They are the ones who need this help,” he said. “They are the ones who need to be alerted and the awareness should be there for them.”
Residents can also enroll in ALERTWorcester by visiting worcesterma.gov or by calling 311.
Steve Smith can be reached at steve@stevephotographysmith.com
