Pender Emergency Management urging residents, visitors to sign up for new emergency alert system

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The new emergency alert system in Pender County is up and running just in time for hurricane season, but it will be used for more than just severe weather events.

Tommy Batson, Pender County’s emergency management director, says in addition to a hurricane evacuation notice you could also see an alert for a wildfire that might have an impact on you and your family, a major hazardous materials spill, or even a missing child case.

“We will use them for large scale events. You may not get one for one or two months, but we’re not going to use it for just general information. It will only be for mass notification for wildfires, major hazardous material spills, tornado outbreak, hurricanes, ice storm, [or] snowstorm,” Batson said.

Pender County has more than 60,000 residents but not many people are signed up for these new alerts just yet.

“At the present time we’ve got about 1,200 [signed up] and we hope to push over 10,000 over the next couple of months. It’s one of many ways to pass important information out and the life-safety of our citizens is our number one priority,” Batson said.

Batson also added that in the middle of the summer Pender County could have more than 100,000 people with visitors at the beach and people maybe at their second homes for the summer months. He also urges those people to sign up for alerts just to be safe. Batson says these alerts are also good for people who work in Pender County.

If you want to sign up for these alerts all you have to do is text your zip code to 888777. If you have a landline, you’re automatically signed up to get these alerts at your home or business in Pender County.

You aren’t required to put your name, address, or any personal information in when you sign up for the alerts. You can also download the app and customize how you receive those alerts.

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