Lemont Finds Success with E-news Service

When strong storms hit the Lemont area in late July, many residents and commuters were inconvenienced by the flooding and downed power lines that shut down much of the downtown area.

The impact could have been much more severe, however, if it hadn't been for the village's use of Nixle, an electronic news service that sends instant updates to registered users.

Within minutes of flooding, an alert went out to residents saying, "Main Street shut down in Lemont from Stephen Street to Kotlin due to flooding. Use alternate route."

"This summer, using (Nixle) to send out mass notifications really became a useful tool for us," Lemont Public Works Director Ralph Pukula said.

Late last year, the Village of Lemont announced a partnership with Nixle that would allow Lemont to send alerts to users' e-mail addresses, phones or web accounts. The service is free for the village and its users, and can be accessed through the village's Web site.

"We're always looking for ways to improve communication with residents, and Nixle gave us the opportunity to utilize several different methods," Assistant Village Administrator George Schafer said.

In addition to emergency notifications, the village also uses the service to announce major events, such as Keepataw Days and the Lemont Quarryman Challenge.

Though the service is being used by only about 250 people so far, Schafer said he's confident more residents will utilize it in time.

"We've had a lot of positive feedback so far, based on what we've heard from our subscribers," he said. "We only hope more people continue to register for the service."

Currently, alerts are sent out by the village's administrative office, Lemont Public Works and the Lemont Police Department. All alerts copy directly to the village's Twitter account (@VillageofLemont).

Lemont Police Sgt. Therese Thompson has used the site often, and said it's been helpful in alerting the community to crime and emergency situations. In July, Thompson was able to call in an alert to Nixle's remote dispatch center after a fire at Lemont Scrap Processing caused traffic to be stopped on New Avenue.

"If something dangerous is going on, it's great that we're able to get the word out quickly," she said.

The police department also has used Nixle to announce safety and crime prevention tips, and to post information on programs such as the Citizen Police Academy and Neighborhood Watches.

"With Nixle, we keep the community aware of everything they need to know, but we also give them the information to reach out to us in return," Thompson said.

Looking ahead to the winter, Pukula said the Public Works Department likely will use Nixle to alert residents of snow removal and treacherous road conditions.

"I would love for every resident in town to be on Nixle," Pukula said. "It makes it easier on us."

Residents can register for Nixle messages at http://local.nixle.com/village-of-lemont.