Town of Ponoka

The Town is providing this new notification service to ensure that:

• Town of Ponoka residents receive critical information quickly about utility service disruptions that may affect their access to important utilities such as water and power, for example:
  • Planned power outages for maintenance, 
  • Watermain breaks; or 
  • Boil water advisories. 
• Town residents and visitors are kept informed in the event of an unexpected, large-scale emergency that could threaten lives or property in our community, for example:
  • Train derailments;
  • Wildfires; and
  • Extreme Weather.
• Residents and visitors can also choose to receive other optional non-emergency alerts about other important and helpful Town information such as:
  • Temporary Town road closures;
  • Curbside waste collection reminders;
  • Parking bans during snow removal operations;
  • Town event notifications; and
  • General Town E-News, including new program announcements, temporary facility closures and other important Town news.

Town of Ponoka residents who receive a monthly utility bill will be automatically enrolled to receive these alerts through the primary phone number and address associated with your utility account. 

• Is the primary phone number associated with your utility bill the best way for you to receive alerts once this new service launches on October 31? 
• If not, please phone the Town Office as soon as possible at 403-783-4431 so we can update your utility bill contact information that will be used to automatically register you for this new notification service.

All other Town residents and visitors will be able to download the app or subscribe to receive these alerts via text, phone and/or email on or after October 31 once the new system is launched. 

The Town will use the Voyent Alert! system to send out these notifications.

Voyent Alert is developed by an Alberta-based company, ICEsoft Technologies.

If you are a Town of Ponoka utility customer:

• You will initially receive alerts via a recorded voice call. You will receive an introductory call on November 6. Following that, you will then be able to choose how you want to receive alerts.
• You can choose to download the Voyent Alert app on the App Store or Google Play to receive notifications on your smartphone. Or you can register online to receive alerts via email or text message, instead of, or in addition to, receiving recorded voice calls.
• Or you can register online at register.voyent-alert.com to receive alerts via email or text message instead of, or in addition to, receiving recorded voice calls. 

If you are not a Town of Ponoka utility bill customer:

• You can receive alerts by downloading the app on or after October 31 at the App Store or Google Play. 
• If you don't have a smartphone, register online at register.voyent-alert.com to receive alerts via email or text message or recorded voice calls.

Registration will be free and simple to do. You can receive alerts that are specific to your location.

You will even be able to receive alerts for multiple locations, such as ‘school’, ‘work’ or ‘Mom and Dad’s house’.

We expect emergency and utility alerts will be infrequent, as utility service disruptions and large-scale local emergencies don't happen often, but when they do it's important for citizens to be notified quickly. 

Other non-emergency alerts will be more frequent.

In addition to emergency alerts, the new service will also invite residents and visitors to sign up for non-emergency alerts about important and helpful Town information such as: 

• Utility service interruptions; 
• Road closures; 
• Waste collection reminders; 
• Snow and ice control updates; 

PLEASE NOTE: When you download the Voyent Alert app or register online for email, text or voice call alerts, you will automatically be registered to receive all non-emergency alerts offered by the Town. To select only the non-emergency alerts you wish to receive, click on the menu icon in the top left corner of the opening screen. Then select "My Topics" and click the checkmarks to deselect topics you do not want to receive. You will receive alerts for all topics that have checkmarks remaining beside them.

Yes, opting out is easy, but we encourage you not to so that you continue to receive critical information that could help protect your safety or be better prepared during a utility service disruption. 

If you choose to opt out, you can do so after the new service launches by pressing “8” at the end of the introductory recorded voice call you receive on November 6. 

Or you can submit on Online Service Request at anytime or phone the Town Office at 403-783-4431 where Town staff can assist you in opting out during regular office hours.

If you would rather receive alerts through an app on your phone or by email or text, go to the App Store or Google Play and download the Voyent Alert App on your phone, or register online at register.voyent-alert.com to receive email or text alerts. 

Is the primary phone number associated with your utility bill the best way for you to receive alerts once this new service launches in October? 

If not, please phone the Town Office as soon as possible at 403-783-4431 so we can update your utility bill contact information that will be used to automatically register you for this new notification service.

Please phone the Town Office at 403-783-4431