SaskAlert launched for emergency news sharing

Saskatchewan has launched a service called SaskAlert, aimed at providing vital information to citizens in the event of emergencies like tornadoes, flash flooding and blizzards.

The alert system will use media outlets, the Weather Network and its website SaskAlert.ca to spread the word.

The new system gives officials a way to communicate directly to people, which is a key advancement from how news has traditionally been shared.

"There wasn't an efficient way to get emergency information out to people other than issuing a news release and hoping that news agencies would rebroadcast that at their convenience," Duane McKay, an official for emergency management with the province, said Thursday.

The alert system will cover all parts of the province through all local governments, and all jurisdictions including First Nations reserves are expected to be trained on using the system by October.