BELLMEAD, Texas (KXXV) — As cities have transitioned to have more digital services, a lot of people who are not online feel left out of the conversation.
- Cities like Bellmead use notification systems that help get important alerts out to the community
- To sign up for Bellmead's Notify Me system click here
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Miley Pulliam enrolled in Bellmead's 'Notify Me' program after experiencing a water outage.
“I was complaining bitterly that I didn't know about it," Pulliam said. "Then I had to learn that I needed to access the system and in order to get the alerts, it didn't go out to everybody.”
Miley said she now relies on email to get these alerts.
"I think it's a great thing for them to do, but it has this drawback for those individuals who are not into the digital age yet," she said.
'Notify Me' is a feature on the city website where residents can subscribe for email and text updates.
Bellmead City Manager Yost Zakary said the system is important for getting the word out to our community, from emergency situations to road closures and even job postings. But he said it has been difficult to get people on board.
“It's been very challenging and I really encourage people not to be afraid of it,” Zakary said.
Just across town, the Lacy Lakeview Police Department said it's having trouble getting residents to sign up for the new emergency management system 'CodeRED.' Police said it's been challenging reaching the generation that doesn't go online or have access to it. Right now, 'CodeRED' has less than 200 people signed up out of thousands of residents.
Pulliam said it can be easy to miss things online when there is a lot to sort through.
"We don't know what's there," she said. "You don't know you have to sift through so many things in order to get the information."
The digital divide, Pulliam said, continues to have some feeling left out of conversations in our community.
The Bellmead city manager said if anyone needs help setting up an online service, come to city hall for assistance.
