Niagara County Emergency Services encourage residents to download Prepare Niagara app as part of National Preparedness Month

With the month of September recognized as National Preparedness Month, Niagara County Emergency Service Director Jonathan Schultz is encouraging residents to have discussions in their households about preparing and responding to emergency situations, including downloading the county’s Prepare Niagara smartphone app.

“National Preparedness Month is about raising awareness on the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies in our homes so that, if we ever do find ourselves and our loved ones in a very serious situation, everyone knows what they should do,” Schultz said.

He noted the county released the Prepare Niagara app last year to aid residents in emergency planning. A press release explained, “The app serves as a way for the agency to connect with Niagara County residents and visitors, providing information quickly and efficiently to anyone with a smartphone.”

“It is imperative for us to be able to reach out to the community quickly in the event of any type of emergency situation,” Schultz said. “The Prepare Niagara app allows us to do that, plus provides several other features that can aid in emergency planning and post-event response.”

The press release noted, “The Niagara County Emergency Services smartphone app offers quick access to items of public interest and is easy to use. In just a few clicks, users can: 

√ “Review emergency plans and checklists to help prepare their own plans

√ “Submit damage reports 

√ “View evacuation procedures 

√ “Receive push notifications 

√ “Connect to the organization’s social media platforms 

√ “View shelter locations; and

√ “Read recent news and press releases”

The Niagara County Emergency Services app is available for download for free in the App Store and Google Play by searching “Niagara County Emergency, NY,” or going to https://apps.myocv.com/share/a58414094.