The City of Menlo Park (http://www.menlopark.org/200/Emergency-alerts) is transitioning its Emergency Alert System (EAS-which includes reverse 911 notifications) from Blackboard Connect to San Mateo County Alert System (SMC Alert.) This transition will place Menlo Park in line with other community and special districts in San Mateo County under one EAS. The transition will be finalized September 17, 2017.
The SMC Alert system (http://hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert) is administered by the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services and offers any community member the ability to register to receive public alerts about emergency events, instructions during natural disasters or critical events, weather warnings, crime warnings, major road closures and traffic issues, and wildlife warnings (mountain lion sightings, etc.) Once enrolled, community members will be able to tailor the types of alerts/warnings they receive, along with specific jurisdictions, cities or counties they are interested in receiving notifications.
If community members have already registered with Blackboard Connect for public warnings, and have an AT&T device, they have already been transitioned to the SMC Alert system and will receive the same alerts they did while registered with Blackboard Connect. If members are registered on Blackboard Connect with a non-AT&T number, they will receive (or have already) an email from Everbridge, Inc. or the Office of Emergency Services asking to update their account on SMC Alert. If members receive this email, it will advise them to update their information at www.smcalert.info.
If members were not registered with Blackboard Connect, and wish to receive emergency public notifications through SMC Alert, visit www.smcalert.info and click on “Register Now” or call the Office of Emergency Services at (650) 363-4488 for recorded instructions about signing up for a SMC Alert account.
The City of Menlo Park and the Police Department will continue to use social media platforms to send out non-emergency, community and some advisory (traffic, arrests, major incidents, etc.) information on Nixle, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Picket Fence and Nextdoor. SMC Alert will be used for emergencies.
