By Mary Velan
Gov1
Everywhere you turn people are accessing information, contacting people and making decisions from their mobile devices. With a more mobile-dependent public to serve, municipalities must adjust their offerings to ensure accessibility on all devices. Here are a few examples of cities doing just that.
Carroll Emergency App
Because you never know when disaster will strike, Carroll County, Illinois, decided it was important to have all emergency information available to residents while they are on the go. The Carroll County Emergency Management department launched the Prepare Me Carroll mobile app to ensure all residents have access to important emergency alerts at any time via their mobile devices. The app is designed to keep residents and visitors abreast of weather hazards with real-time updates, Carroll County Times reported.
The free app offers a variety of features for users to enjoy including:
- Direct link to the National Weather Service for Carroll County for updated weather info
- Interactive Emergency Kit Checklist that guides users as they prepare for an emergency
- Reference guides covering more than 10 types of emergencies to help people plan ahead
In addition, the County Emergency Management staff can send users push notifications when something changes or to issue safety reminders when hazardous weather conditions start to develop. The app allows the management team to post warnings about potential weather hazards on social media sites but also send notifications to all mobile app users to remind them of what to expect in the near future.
The app was developed with funding from a Department of Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative grant.
Improve Detroit
A smartphone application that allows residents to report maintenance problems in Detroit has helped the city resolve more than 10,000 complaints in the past six months, Associated Press reported.
The Improve Detroit app has been downloaded more than 6,500 times since April 8, when it was launched. Mayor Mike Duggan says the free app signals “a new era of customer service and accountability in city government.”
About 3,000 illegal dumping sites have been cleaned up, 2,000 potholes have been repaired, 550 abandoned vehicles have been removed and 275 traffic signal issues have been fixed. Nearly 1,000 complaints related to running water in an abandoned structure and 500 complaints related to water main breaks have been resolved.
The city also offers the Detroit Police Connect and DDOT Bus apps to residents.
Selmer City App
Selmer, Tennessee, has also launched an app to connect residents and visitors with key community information on their mobile devices. The app focuses on collecting and sharing community information such as:
- Restaurant information
- Local business information
- Houses for sale
- Activities in the community
The goal of the app is to not only support local businesses and community organizations, but also keep residents connected and engaged with the city. Officials anticipate the app will help drive tourism, while reminding local residents of new opportunities they may not be aware of, WBBJTV reported.
Other cities that have launched similar apps to connect residents to local businesses also offer maps illustrating where different amenities are located so users can get direction or find items nearby. A city can connect a variety of public information together to make it more convenient than ever for people to get around and engage in the community. The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, for example, offers mobile app users with local transit information, the ability to purchase transit tickets, as well as local business and organization information to enjoy the community to its fullest, Northwest Indiana Times reported.