Sewickley launches new alert system to send official borough emergency messages

Sewickley area residents and business owners have a new way to get official emergency alerts from the borough.

Emergency management coordinator Michael Mullins said SewickleyAlerts, a mass communication alert system through OnSolve, recently launched.

Sewickley partnered with the company to use CodeRED, a cloud-based software system that sends out messages to subscribers.

Estimated cost is $3,600 a year.

Mullins said the borough had a soft launch in November to help test the system, and recently sent out yellow postcards to all residents as part of a subscription drive.

“The goal is to sign up as many people as we can,” Mullins said. “If something came up, we can use it today and it’s not a problem.”

Glen Osborne residents and business owners are also encouraged to sign up because Sewickley police patrol the neighboring borough.

It is free to sign up for the alerts and there are multiple ways to register.

People can either scan the QR code on the postcards to get to the site or text SewickleyAlerts (case sensitive) to 24639.

They can also log into accountportal.onsolve.net/sewickleyalerts or fill out the information on the back of the postcards and send them to the borough office, 601 Thorn Street.

People can select how they want to receive the alert such as text or email.

Nearly 500 signed up as of mid-January.

Census 2020 data shows there are 590 people in Glen Osborne and about 3,900 in Sewickley.

Mullins said it is important for people to get emergency information straight from the borough and not unofficial sources.

“If you don’t have a way to communicate with people then the internet kind of fills the void and you get a lot of disinformation,” Mullins said.

The alert system is strictly for emergencies and not all borough activities such as pancake breakfasts and festivals.

Mullins credited Mayor George Shannon for coming up with the idea for the alert system.

“It’s pretty obvious in today’s world those things are necessary and easy to accomplish,” Shannon said. “Fortunately, we haven’t had to use it. Hopefully, we never have to use it but it’s going to be there if we need it.”

The mayor said he filled out the information on the postcard to sign up.

He lauded Mullins and police Chief Dave Mazza for getting the system up and running.