(Walhalla, SC)------------------------In 2019, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office became the first law enforcement agency to implement technology that provides an alert to those traveling within two miles of where a law enforcement pursuit was occurring involving the Oconee County Sheriff's Office.
The technology was called Pursuit Alert, and all citizens and visitors had to do to take advantage of the technology was to download the Pursuit Alert app. Deputies from the Uniform Patrol Division had installed, in their patrol vehicles, a Pursuit Alert box that would be activated in the event the deputy was involved in a pursuit.
As the Pursuit Alert technology has evolved, new features have been added. With the new features comes a new name: Digital Siren. The new name and new features made its debut on October 12th.
"Citizens and visitors who have downloaded the Pursuit Alert app need to delete that app and download the new Digital Siren app to be able to take advantage of this technology," says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. "The new Digital Siren app will have more alerts and is much more efficient."
As part of this technology upgrade, the Sheriff's Office Communications Center will be using Digital 911 to provide alerts to increase citizen safety. Any event that the Sheriff's Office feels would be of safety importance to the citizens and visitors of Oconee County can be sent immediately through the app with an audible alert.
Much like Pursuit Alert, the Digital Siren app will alert when in motion, but the user has various options to configure the "sleep or idle" time so when they become stationary for the selected time, the app will go on a silent mode until it starts moving again.
"With the new technology available to the Sheriff's Office, our 911 Communications Center will now be able to alert citizens and visitors to our county in the event of an emergency such as an active shooter, a wrong way driver, reported drunk driver, weather event reported by a deputy, flooded roads reported by officers, a lost or missing child or senior citizen, plus other events including any custom message needed to alert citizens," according to Sheriff Crenshaw.
"Citizen and visitor safety is of the upmost importance and this technology will continue to add additional layers of safety. It is fast and easy to use. Citizens only need to download the free Digital Siren app. This technology puts real time information into our citizens hands so they can better protect their families," say Sheriff Crenshaw.
Our law enforcement partners from the Pickens Police Department and the Easley Police Department are adding this technology. Citizens who have downloaded the Digital Siren app will receive the same alerts as they travel between Oconee and Pickens counties.
Comments