Accessibility Information

City Introduces New Ping4alerts! Public Safety App for Smartphones

Cape Coral launched its latest public information tool with the announcement that City departments will begin using the Ping4alerts! mobile communications app to notify citizens of various public safety issues. Residents and visitors can download this free app on their Apple or Android devices.

“More than 65 percent of cell phone users now carry smartphones, and the Ping4alerts! system can deliver instant alerts to these mobile devices,” said City Manager John Szerlag.  “Our police and fire departments, along with other City departments, can use this app to alert our citizens to any emergencies or other public safety issues.”

The app can be used to alert residents of a missing child, SWAT event, brush fire, weather-related issues, flooded streets and other immediate issues.  In addition to city-wide alerts, the City can target specific areas using drawing tools that create “geofences” and then alert only the users in the specific area or those who enter the area.  The geofence option may provide opportunities for targeted messages at specific parks or City facilities. 

Ping4alerts! protects user anonymity and does not require users to provide any personally identifiable information such as a phone number, street address or email address.  Alerts only remain on the recipient’s phone for the timeframe established by the sender.  A nice feature of the system is the ability to “remember” phones and prevent multiple alerts of a message if a user enters and exits the alert area more than once.  The system also allows the City to create associated links within the alert for informational pages, audio and video messages, and a call-back number if needed.

“This is another way the City can keep our residents informed and updated,” said Szerlag.  “We encourage our residents with the smartphone technology to download this app to their Apple or Android devices.”

The app is available on Google Play and Apple’s AppStore.  To download the app, visit the City’s website (www.capecoral.net) and click on the “Ping4alerts” link under the “Services” dropdown box.