A new app that holds emergency and community resource information for Marshall County residents was unveiled during Monday’s Marshall County Commissioners meeting.
In the app store, search Marshall County IN and download the free app onto your phone or other device.
Marshall County EMA Director Clyde Avery and Marshall County Community Corrections Director Ward Byers presented information about the app Monday. Byers explained grant funds were received by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to produce an app that features information that could be immediately accessible to Marshall County residents.
Byers stated, “The original design of the app was to provide information to first responders, law enforcement and to give them information in their hands, such as suicide prevention, substance abuse and community resources for individuals that they are dealing with on the streets – if someone has a clothing, or a housing need, or if they have a food need. Clyde and I started meeting and started developing this and what we have been able to do is build on that.”
He said Dustin’s Place is included on the app, as well as United Way, The Caring Coalition, and the Bowen Center.
The county will be able to push out notifications to residents in case of an emergency. Highway Superintendent Jason Peters will be able to send out notifications on road construction or closed roads. To ensure that notifications are received, navigate to that function on the app and select appropriate notifications.
Byers noted that the Public Health selection will give residents several options, including the location of the Mobile Medical Unit.
Byers continued, “The Health Department can go into what is called the control panel, set up for their vaccinations, COVID, or whatever it is the Mobile Medical Unit is going to go out and do that particular day or they can set this for a week at a time, and then you just simply click on one of the icons. It pops up and it’s going to give you the information. You can then open it up into a mapping function and it’s going to drive you right to where you need to go.”
EMA Director Clyde Avery said the EMA button gives information on emergency preparedness and what to do if an event happens. It discusses response and recovery.
“The big thing that Ward and I talked about that I really like is that when we decide to implement travel advisories or other warning information we can push that out on a scroll. I think that’s going to be very beneficial for the community,” said Avery.
Damage reports can be filled out in the app in the case of an event which can be submitted directly to Avery and then to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
The app will be changing to add other entities that can provide resources to the community. Tourism and the Marshall County Parks and Recreation Department will be soon included in the app.
Commissioner Michael Burroughs encourages all residents and government leaders in the county to subscribe to be available to all communication.
