Police and Schools Count On Mobile Technology During Winter Storm Nemo

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y., Feb. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- When Winter Storm Nemo bore down on the Northeast last week, police departments and school districts in the path of the storm turned to mobile technology to keep their communities safe and informed.

Residents from New Jersey to Maine relied on up-to-the-minute text messages and emails from their local public safety agencies -- detailing everything from storm preparedness tips and school closings to traffic detours and downed wires. The secure, real-time communication is powered by Nixle, a company whose goal is to help build stronger communities by working with both law enforcement and the schools they serve.

The Suffolk County Police Department in New York took to Nixle to keep drivers away from the Long Island Expressway, which got buried under a massive blanket of snow, turning sections of the highway into virtual parking lots. "This unprecedented weather event created hazardous and potentially life-threatening conditions," explains Deputy Chief Kevin Fallon, "and Nixle enabled the department to communicate to the public important messages including road closures and information for stranded motorists."

"It is written into our city ordinance that Nixle is the primary method of notification for emergencies," remarks Deputy Chief Marty Cohan of the Peabody, Massachusetts Police Department, where the blizzard left more than two feet of snow covering streets and sidewalks. "Nixle is reliable and instantaneous. In the case of Nemo, it was used for weather updates, parking alternatives, traffic alerts and many other issues including power, heating, shelters and warming stations." Peabody PD sent the informative updates to residents' cell phones and email, including word that all public schools would be closed as clean-up continued.

Closings, cancellations, and delays were also in effect in Manchester, New Hampshire, where, according to Assistant Superintendent Karen Burkush, "The Manchester School District utilized Nixle to communicate emergency messages to our students, their families, staff and the community as a whole.  It has been a very effective and valuable communication tool for the District."

To learn more about Nixle and its unique approach to public safety notification -- which emphasizes community and collaboration -- visit www.nixle.com.

Founded in 2007, San Francisco-based Nixle builds technologies that enable effective communication between more than 6,000 public safety agencies, their school districts, and the communities they serve.  Nixle's robust platform of text message, email, and voice notifications connects residents to their local leaders so important and relevant information can be shared when it matters most.  Additionally, Nixle helps mobilize those communities to take an active role in public safety, with the goal of helping government agencies engage their citizens successfully.

SOURCE Nixle