The Mattawa Police Department will be using a new emergency alert system to better and more quickly inform residents of fires, traffic hazards and other incidents.

The MPD has partnered with Nixle to implement its Community Notification System to alert residents in real-time for localized emergency situations and relevant community advisories.

“Nixle is a powerful tool to keep all of our citizens informed of potential hazards in our area,” said MPD Chief Joe Harris.

To register, text MATTAWAPD or 99349 to 888777 from a mobile phone or go to www.cityofmattawa.com and sign up via the Nixle widget.

Once registered, residents will receive a confirmation text to their mobile device. Residents may also customize their alert settings by going to www.nixle.com and creating a user profile.

All alerts will be targeted geographically, allowing residents to receive localized, relevant alerts from Mattawa Police Department. Nixle Alerts can be sent via Text, Email, Web, Social Media, and the Nixle Mobile App.

Nixle is partnered with NLETS for unmatched data security, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Blue Alert Network, and Google to optimize two-way information exchange.