nixle_logoIn July, the Haines Borough issued a boil water notice for certain residents because of a problem with the water supply.

To get the word out, borough staff called residents one-by-one and put a notice online.

Now, a new system may make notifying locals about important safety alerts more efficient.

Nixle is basically like a community-wide notification,” said Haines Police Dispatch Supervisor Celeste Grimes. “Whether it be like an AMBER alert or a weather alert, any kind of traffic hazard. We just want to make an immediate notification to our public.”

Nixle is a notification service utilized by police departments and municipalities.

Residents can opt-in to the system by texting the Haines area code, 99827, to the phone number 888-777. Then, they’ll be on the list to receive a text message when the borough sends out an alert.

To receive only police department alerts, text HAINESPD, all one word, to the same number 888-777. You can also sign up with your email address through nixle.com.

“[It will be] particularly helpful like when we did the boil water notice, it took up a lot of man hours from the police department, public works, the water sewer department,” Grimes said. “And that could’ve been eliminated pretty easily by just sending out mass notifications.”

There is more information about the notification system at the Haines Borough website, hainesalaska.gov.