Due to enormous resident feedback from the February 2021 winter storm, the City of Southlake added all mobile phone numbers that are billed to Southlake addresses to Alert Southlake, our emergency notification system. All of these users will begin receiving emergency communications issued by the City of Southlake by text message, followed by a phone call if the user does not confirm receipt of the message. 

“Everbridge, our emergency notification vendor, along with resident feedback, gave us good reason to implement this new program. The technology of mobile service (cell phones) has taken over the world and is highly relied upon as 64.9% of children and 55.2% of adults have wireless service only,” City of Southlake Emergency Manager Amanda Meneses said. 

The City uses Alert Southlake to issue emergency notifications such as severe weather warnings, water service outages or other urgent public safety alerts. The mobile phone numbers will be provided by our vendor, Everbridge. 

Here’s what you need to know about Alert Southlake: 

  • The City of Southlake will now annually update mobile phone numbers that are billed to a Southlake address and publicly available landline phone numbers that include residential and business numbers, registered to a Southlake address. Previously input user preferences will be saved from year to year.  
  • All Alert Southlake accounts can update preferences, such as quiet hours, to not receive notifications during specific times. Before opting out of all notifications, it is recommended to modify the account to specific preferences. If we can reach you through an alert, we can notify you of important emergency information.  
  • You can update your account settings at any time by going to www.CityofSouthlake.com/AlertSouthlake. After setting up an account or logging in, you can update your preferences for text messages, phone calls, and emails, as well as phone numbers and addresses, or simply opt out. If you do not remember your username or password, please contact the Office of Emergency Management at 817-748-8903. 
  • Residents who choose to opt-in before this update or have already opted in will continue to receive alerts in accordance with their selected preferences. There is no need to update the existing account. If users notice a change in service, please call the Office of Emergency Management at 817-748-8903 to correct any issues. 
  • If a phone number was previously opted out of the alerts, it will not begin to receive alerts again. If users notice a change in service, please call the Office of Emergency Management to correct any issues.  
  • If a user has previously opted out of the Alert Southlake system with their mobile number and would like to begin receiving emergency alerts, send a text with the word RESUME to 87844 or go to www.CityofSouthlake.com/AlertSouthlake to login and opt in.  
  • Your contact information provided for Alert Southlake will be used for notification purposes only. We will not give or sell your contact or location information to any vendor or other organization.  
  • The Office of Emergency Management is available for questions at 817-748-8903 or by email at OEM@CityofSouthlake.com 

“With our opt-in campaigns, we were only reaching about 25-40% of our resident population. With this new resident connection update, we will be able to communicate emergency information effectively and efficiently with 60% or more of Southlake residents with the push of a button,” Meneses said. 

We can’t always predict when disaster will strike, but we’re prepared if it does.

Planning

From severe weather to man-made hazards, the City of Southlake has multiple plans in place that address procedures before, during and after disaster or large-scale emergency events. The Office of Emergency Management guides City departments through planning processes so that we have plans that use an all-hazards approach, easily molded to fit most situations.

  • Our Emergency Operations Plan is validated by the State and is reviewed every five years.
  • Each City department has a Continuity of Operations Plan, which allows them to continue essential functions no mater what the situation.
  • Each facility has an Emergency Action Plan, that allows staff to respond to many common emergencies and facilitates evacuation and shelter in place situations.
  • Every large City event in Town Square requires an event action plan that provides response to the increased number of people within the area.
  • We have a certified disaster debris plan that allows us to plan accordingly for large debris generating events such as flooding and tornadoes.

Notification

The City of Southlake operates six outdoor warning sirens that sound during severe weather or life threating events. The sirens are placed strategically throughout the City and are designed to warn people who are in common outdoor areas such as parks and shopping centers to go inside and seek more information.

The City also communicates emergency information with citizens and businesses registered for Alert Southlake. This system allows us to send rapid notifications via phone call, text or email. These notifications can range from severe weather notifications, road closures, to other emergencies such as closures and boil water notices.

Response

When a disaster strikes, the City operates and Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC, under guidance of the emergency manager and city manager, brings together highly trained City staff and state-of-the-art technology to coordinate resources, information and crisis and emergency risk communication to strengthen our City’s ability to detect and respond to threats.

The City also participates in associations such as Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA) and Public Works Emergency Response Team (PWERT) that allows us additional resources and manpower during emergency events. These affiliations allow us to respond and recover much faster, becoming a more resilient community.

Learn how the City has planned for various emergency situations by visiting the Southlake Office of Emergency Management’s home page or if you have a question, contact Emergency Manager Amanda Meneses at ameneses@ci.southlake.tx.us.

When it comes to preparedness the City of Southlake takes emergency management seriously. The City employs an Office of Emergency Management that assists the city, local businesses and the community throughout all phases of a disaster cycle: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

Emergency Manager Amanda Meneses provides strategic guidance and oversight to four program areas in the application of an all-hazards emergency management program. These programs include the emergency operations center, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. Meneses’ focus is on ensuring the City of Southlake can thrive in any emergency situation that the City may face. She works jointly with other city, state, federal and non-governmental entities in the execution of this mission.

Previously, Amanda served as a federal emergency telecommunicator supervisor in Washington D.C. In this role, she had primary responsibility of dispatching for several federal law enforcement and fire agencies around the Nation’s Capital, coordinated internal training and communications and served as a project manager for new and sensitive initiatives, including the roll-out of a new CAD system.  Meneses also did emergency dispatch for Kitsap County, outside of Seattle, Washington prior to moving to the D.C. area.

Meneses started her career in the United States Navy, serving 14 years. Her main function was military police/working dog handler. Amanda has worked both drug and explosive trained canines. She served both stateside and in Europe, with three deployments to the Middle East. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from Kaplan University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Columbia Southern University.

Emergency Management Specialist Isabella Uceda began her career at the City of Southlake as an intern with the Office of Emergency Management. Uceda is local to the area, graduating from Argyle High School in 2016.  She then continued her education at the University of Arlington, starting in the nutrition program, then after finding her true passion, majored in public health.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Texas at Arlington, Uceda came to work full-time at the City of Southlake. Her main focus is working on public education and becoming a continuity practitioner, allowing her to assist with the city-wide continuity of operations plan (COOP). She will also be working on the revitalization of a community emergency response team (CERT) among other emergency management practices to help improve the readiness and resiliency of the Southlake community.

Together, our Emergency Management team wants to make sure the City and the community are prepared and resilient in the event of an emergency.

For more information about emergency management in Southlake, go to www.CityofSouthlake.com/EmergencyManagement.

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