District News, News

Public Alert Notification System (PANS): are you subscribed?

20
Oct

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 – A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska yesterday. According to Emergency Management BC, based on all available data, there was no tsunami threat to Sooke residents. The potential threat of a disaster serves as an important reminder to reflect on emergency planning.

Are you subscribed to the District of Sooke’s Public Alert Notification System (PANS)? 

During an emergency or significant event, it is important to seek local information. Threats and subsequent actions can differ according to a geographic location – even within the Greater Victoria region. The District of Sooke has partnered with the CRD on their Public Alert Notification System (PANS). Sooke residents are encouraged to register to receive Sooke-specific emergency-related public alert notifications by phone, text, or email. When resident action may be required, a notification will be issued. Residents will receive a further notification if they are required to take action.

If you have not yet registered, register HERE and note:

  • If you have formerly registered with CRD PANS with a Sooke address, no need to register again.
  • IMPORTANT: All notifications issued will be based on the address provided. If you list an address that is not within the location for which you are registering (Sooke), you will not receive a notification if that area is affected. The address provided must be a physical address, not a Post Office Box.
  • Select a User Name that you can easily remember. The recommended format is first initial, last name (example: jsmith). The Personal Identification Number (PIN) can be between 4 and 10 characters. Please record and store it in a safe location.
  • Do not enter anything into the Latitude or Longitude fields as these will be automatically populated by the system.
  • Please only use a local phone number. Long-distance phone numbers cannot receive alerts.
  • If you have registered for SMS Text messaging a quick set of instructions will appear after you select the Submit button. Please follow the instructions to activate the SMS Text messaging service.
  • Already registered? Login here.
  • Please Note: Since telecommunications companies do not guarantee timely delivery of text messages, you are advised to register alternate notification devices, such as a phone number for voice calls, in addition to SMS Text Messaging. You may register up to 9 devices for notifications. Emergency Phone is not notified.

To learn more about the District of Sooke’s Emergency Planning, please visit the Emergency Planning section of our website.

For more information, please contact:
Sooke Fire Department
Tel: 250.642.5422

Local Information sources: