Williams Promotes Public Safety Alert System

HARTFORD —The state recently launched the nation’s first statewide emergency notification system allowing public safety officials to communicate with residents, but people throughout Connecticut must register for the program to reach its full potential, Rep. Sean Williams said recently.

Williams, who represents Watertown and Woodbury, urged his constituents to register for CT Alert via a recently-launched Web site www.ctalert.gov. The system provides a way for authorities to get critical information to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in times of emergencies, such as natural disasters or even a public health crisis. Local and state officials teamed to develop it.

“Anyone in law enforcement, or anybody in crisis management for that matter, would say that good communication is among the most critical aspects of a response plan,” he said. “We’re taking that fundamental principle seriously in Connecticut. There’s no doubt that this system will help residents.”

Some communities in Connecticut used the system during headline-grabbing spring storms that knocked out power and wreaked havoc in the lives of residents.