The US city of Austin in central Texas has launched a mobile app to better prepare citizens for natural disasters and other emergencies, including COVID-19 updates.
The app aims to provide the citizens of central Texas with important information and resources so as to ensure citizen readiness in times of disaster. In fact, the city has been putting in a great deal of effort into rebranding and making key improvements to advance smart city initiatives.
The Ready Central Texas app is free to download from the Google Play Store and the Apple Store. It was created as part of a joint venture between the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Travis County Office of Emergency Management.
The app has a news section as well as an emergency plan checklist, informational videos, preparedness resources, COVID-19 resources and a document library.
Juan Ortiz, director of the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security Emergency Management, said, “As we conclude National Preparedness Month, we are excited to give the community another tool to raise their emergency preparedness for emergencies that can happen in our community. We hope the public will download the app and take the time to make an emergency preparedness plan for their family or household.”
Eric Carter, chief emergency manager for the Travis County Office of Emergency Management, said, “We believe this is another great tool for the public to get information about Covid-19 and other emergencies that can strike in Central Texas.”
“Our goal is to continue to provide multiple avenues for the public to be prepared so when disasters strike they can take immediate action to ensure they and their loved ones are safe,” he added.