During recent days, area residents have been notified of weather advisories and hazardous road conditions through the Nixle service of Bridgeport Police Department.

 

Nixle is free, allowing those who utilize the service, to receive up-to-date information via texts, emails and phone calls.

 

Director of Bridgeport Emergency Management Laura Pysz urges those who live and work in Bridgeport – or anyone who just wants to know what’s happening here - to register for Nixle by visiting www.nixle.com, clicking “Sign Up Now” and following the prompts.

 

It’s important to sign up, especially this time of year, Pysz said.

 

“You’ll be advised of the increased vehicle accidents and road closures and it’s great to have that information at your fingertips so you can either detour or know what is causing your delay,” she said. “We have the capability of notifying subscribers to any situation that may arise from road closures and detours, water line breaks and weather advisories or warnings, as well as food drives and events like Light Up Night and Family Day in the Park. The possibilities are endless.”

 

Nixle alerts are sent by authorized users from their phones or computers, reaching subscribers within seconds. Those authorized users include members of Bridgeport Police, Fire and Emergency Services. It is a powerful tool and one which all area residents should take advantage of.

 

“Several thousand people are registered and get the alerts,” Pysz said. “People who work here, live here or actually might just have family members here have subscribed so they can be apprised of anything happening in Bridgeport.”

 

Founded in 2007, Nixle now works with over 4,600 public safety agencies across the U.S., sending vital information from weather warnings, evacuation orders, school alerts, traffic alerts, safety tips, local crime information and other pertinent information. If Nixle users want to receive only emergency alerts, they can customize their service.

 

Besides the important service that Nixle already provides, there is still potential for utilizing it even more fully. One underutilized feature is the capability to respond to the police department with an anonymous tip, she said. Hopefully, more people will become comfortable and knowledgeable about that capability.

 

Those who already subscribe to Nixle are encouraged to verify their account by visiting nixle.com and simply entering your username and password. If your account does not appear, please register again.