Hurricane Irene Aftermath

Dear Valued Client,

As many East Coast communities deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, SwiftReach would like to recommend the following:

If you found you had questions or even a little uncertainty about using our Notification Service, SwiftReach offers free online training several times a month. To register for a training session, log into your SwiftReach account, on the left side of the page under the heading of Tutorials & Help click on Webex Training, then click on the date and time that is right for you.

If you found that more members of your staff should have access to your SwiftReach account, then please log into your SwiftReach account, at the top right side of the page, click on Help Center, and then click on User Account Form. Your SwiftReach Account Administrator should complete and submit a form for each person that would require access to your account.  Once completed, please submit the form via fax to 201-236-1222.

During emergencies such as Hurricane Irene or for route events, the more contact information you have for each resident, the better you will be able to communicate via your SwiftReach Notification Service.  The best way to obtain current contact information from your residents is by having a SwiftReach Public Web Portal.  Our Web Portal is an online form, specifically for your account, and it allows residents to provide additional contact information such as cellular telephone numbers, email addresses, and text message numbers. If you currently do not have a SwiftReach Public Web Portal, then please log into your SwiftReach account, at the top right side of the page, click on Help Center, and then click on Web Portal Request Form. Once completed, please submit the form via email to portalrequest@swiftreach.comor via fax to 201-574-0249.

After major events, such as Hurricane Irene, many clients are using their SwiftReach Notification Service in the following ways:

-If residents did not receive your SwiftReach calls, text messages or emails, then send a notification directing your community to update their contact information via your SwiftReach Public Web Portal.  When citizens provide their cellular telephone numbers, text message numbers, and email addresses  it allows you to contact them if traditional telephone service is down as well as if they need to evacuate and cannot be reached at their home telephone number. A member of your staff must review and approve these requests prior to them becoming activated in your database.

-Advise your community where local flooding still exists or if rivers are going to crest and to anticipate local flooding. 

-Advise citizens not to drive through roads with standing water.

-Advise if the start of the new school year will be delayed due to storm related repairs.

-Advise the elderly, homebound, and other special needs people of the specific resources available to help them with the aftermath of the storm.

-Advise of additional garbage collections taking place or of special collections that will be conducted for leaves and tree branches. 

-Advise if the hours of operation have changed due to the storm for the departments in your community as well as if parks and recreation facilities are closed due to water saturation.

Please keep in mind that long messages tend not to be heard in their entirety, therefore a series of short duration messages are recommended for effective communications.  

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions at 1-800-794-3891 or support@swiftreach.com and we look forward to providing you the very best community notification service.

Sincerely,

PRWA / SwiftReach Networks