& how to get local weather alerts sent to your phone
If you want to receive local weather alerts, sign up for Nelson County’s free alert system. The local government’s network allows you to filter the types of weather info you get (see below) and, similar to Alert Wintergreen, allows you to select which devices receive these alerts. Go here to sign up for Nelson County alerts.
• Why have Alert Wintergreen?
Wintergreen Fire Department needs a way to notify residents and employees at Wintergreen of pending threats such as wildfires or tornados. The police department needs to notify the community of situations such as a possible threat by a gunman, which the community experienced last February. And, the Wintergreen Property Owners Association uses Alert Wintergreen to send the entire community messages such as road closures and other news via email.
• What is Alert Wintergreen?
WPOA uses the services of Everbridge to run an emergency alert system for the entire resort community. The system can rapidly send out emails, text messages, and phone calls. Property owners establish how they are to be contacted in various scenarios when they create an account.
For example, if you want a phone call for priority messages and only emails for other types of messages, you tell the system this when you set up your account. And it’s entirely up to the individual which of their devices get what types of alerts, if any. Go here to set up your Alert Wintergreen account.
"If computers aren’t your thing, but you’d like to be included in Alert Wintergreen, or if you have an issue with your Alert Wintergreen account, call Wintergreen Rescue's Mike Riddle," offers Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Chief Curtis Sheets. "Mike will spend a few minutes with you on the phone and set-up your account on the system on your behalf. He can be reached at 434-325-8552."
• Who manages Alert Wintergreen?
Only selected senior managers within WPOA can initiate an Alert Wintergreen message. WPOA does not allow any other organizations to utilize the Alert Wintergreen system.
"Keep in mind the same supervisor who is dealing with a crisis may also be the one who typed that Alert Wintergreen message you saw using a smartphone. Our mistakes have been minimal, but they do happen and we ask for your patience," says Chief Sheets.
• When are messages sent via Alert Wintergreen?
Only messages related to Wintergreen police, fire, rescue, roads, or actionable WPOA information go out on the system. Usually WPOA information is sent only to email addresses; priority messages that need immediate attention can go to your phones, text screen, and email, depending on how you set-up your account.
The email sender ID on non-priority messages usually reads “WPOA Information” instead of "Alert Wintergreen" and the subject line of the email is edited to tell readers what's in the message.
TIP: Put the special Alert Wintergreen outgoing-only caller ID number in your phones’ contacts–434-325-0911–so your phone will help you realize right away that it is a priority call and not spam. Note that you cannot return-dial that number. Check your email to see the message again.
Do not call the 911 dispatch center to ask questions. If a high-priority message is being broadcast, it is likely the attention of the staff at the dispatch center is in high demand. If phone messages that are not high priority are sent WPOA changes the caller ID to an office phone number. WPOA typically uses email only for non-priority messages.
Alert Wintergreen is not set up to provide standard warnings about the weather. For example, a severe thunderstorm warning or a tornado watch won’t usually be pushed out. "A tornado warning, however, would go out as quickly as possible, as we did last year," says Chief Sheets. "That message was immediately confirmed by over 1,500 property owners. We don’t use an automatic push from a weather service because too many owners would see that as obtrusive."
Nelson County's Emergency Alert System–similar to Alert Wintergreen–offers local weather alerts sent to your phone or email.
• How do I start receiving messages from Alert Wintergreen?
You have to create an account (it's free; sign up for Alert Wintergreen here) and fill out the online forms about what messages you want to see and how you want them delivered. Chief Sheets stresses that WPOA does not share your information outside the system.
No one is automatically registered into the Alert Wintergreen system. Participation is entirely optional. Also, WPOA does not take users out of the system. Those in the network can change their settings or delete their account by logging in here.