WA's emergency warning system rolled out in Canada

Life-saving technology that was developed in Western Australia, with funding from the WA Government, is being rolled out in Canada following the recent deadly wildfires.

Emergency WA is the state’s official source for authoritative, accurate and timely emergency information, with more than 36 million page views in the past 12 months and more than 135 million views since its launch in 2016. The website and accompanying app (the latter launched last December) enable users to receive instant notifications for warnings, incidents and other alerts in custom watch zones, helping those impacted by emergencies to make life-saving decisions as natural disasters unfold.

The Emergency WA warning system is now being used by the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization across one of Canada’s largest provinces, where multiple states of emergency have been declared in recent months as hundreds of wildfires have burned out of control, killing two people, destroying homes and forcing thousands to evacuate. Anni Fordham, from WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), recently travelled to Manitoba to help implement the new warning technology, which will become a trusted source of information for Canadian communities.

“The fact Manitoba chose to adopt the DFES Emergency WA technology, as well as embracing our leading expertise in the critical field of public information, shows how highly regarded Western Australia is internationally in the emergency services sector,” said Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm.

“WA firefighters are also renowned worldwide for their expertise in managing destructive fires in difficult terrain and have provided much-needed relief to Canadian crews on the frontline.

“The situation in Canada is the perfect reminder for all Western Australians to take advantage of the world-leading technology available at their fingertips and download our Emergency WA app so they can make life-saving decisions when hazards impact their community.”

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