Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge to roll out Savvy Citizen alert system to keep residents informed

When a police manhunt unfolded Jan. 2 in Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge, residents were thirsty for information about what was happening.

But there was no way of broadcasting real-time details, Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf said.

That is going to change soon.

The three municipalities are planning to launch a platform to share time-sensitive community alerts that will help to keep residents informed and safe, Boddorf said.

Online app Savvy Citizen has been selected for its local presence, ease of use and cost.

Notifications are pushed to residents in real time by way of their preferred method.

Updates can be sent to residents in less than a minute, according to the Savvy Citizen website.

The total cost for the system is about $10,000 a year for the three municipalities combined. The first two years will be financed with a state grant.

About $20,000 was awarded through the Department of Community and Economic Development, secured with help by state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel.

“I look forward to being able to immediately notify our residents of time-sensitive issues in one streamlined process,” Harrison Commissioner Gary Meanor said.

The ability to provide an app that will serve the three communities individually and collectively is a unique opportunity, he said.

Typically, residents need to attend council meetings, call municipal officials or check government websites to learn about critical information, police advisories or events.

Boddorf said that is not an effective way for residents to stay informed.

“Something like an unforeseen garbage pickup delay would often trigger a high volume of calls to the municipalities,” he said. “For officials, these calls often consumed time answering repetitive questions.”

In addition, municipal leaders wanted a way to raise awareness and participation in scheduled meetings or events such as outdoor concerts.

“It will be nice to have a consolidated system for the municipal governments to communicate officially validated local information in real time, if needed, for an emergency,” Brackenridge Mayor Lindsay Fraser said. “But it will also improve upon our current system of automated phone calls, water bill mailers, scanner apps, Facebook and well-meaning neighborly communication.”

Residents will be notified in the coming weeks about the system’s implementation.

Tarentum police Chief William Vakulick said the Savvy Citizen app will go a long way toward making residents’ consumption of borough information easier.

“It will provide a method for all three municipalities to prioritize public safety by promptly pushing out escalated, time-sensitive emergency alerts,” he said.