Emergency Information Mobile App

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Following Hurricane Hermine in 2016, Leon County learned that many citizens relied heavily on mobile devices as a primary method of accessing emergency information during the disaster. The County conducted a series of community “listening sessions” immediately after Hermine and learned that there was an even greater opportunity to leverage mobile technology during disasters to communicate emergency-related public information, such as evacuation routes, shelter locations, points of distribution, and other information. As a result, the County reconfigured its web- and mobile-accessible emergency information platforms and produced a mobile app that now integrates information posted to the County’s emergency information website and allows public information personnel to send emergency information directly to app users. The mobile app was launched prior to the start of the 2017 hurricane season, providing citizens with a single source of critical information during emergencies, verified by public safety agencies, emergency management professionals, and crews in the field. The mobile app has significantly strengthened the County’s ability to communicate with citizens during emergencies, as evidenced by the widespread utilization of the app during Hurricane Irma, which struck Leon County just months after the app was launched.