As we approach the peak period of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, Virgin Islands residents and visitors are reminded that real-time mobile alerts about storms, earthquakes and other hazards are available from the Department of Disaster Management’s new emergency alerting app.
The BVI DDM Emergency app was primarily developed as an alerting tool, but also has preparedness resources such as safety tips and emergency shelter lists. The app also facilitates individual post-disaster needs such as sharing damage reports, and requesting location-based assistance. Social media integration enables users with a login to share “I’m safe” messages on their social profiles.
The BVI DDM Emergency app is available now in the App Store and on Google Play and replaces the previous DDM Alert app. It is available free of charge on a variety of mobile devices including most smartphones. Technical development costs for the new app were shared by the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office.