BOSTON — An app that connects neighbors and communities can now connect you to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency or state police.
Nextdoor, called the neighborhood social network, has made Massachusetts the first state where residents can get updates from MEMA or connect with Mass. State Police through their app.
The app is a private network that connects you to the people who live around you for whatever reason.
State police and MEMA have been testing their connections to that app and Nextdoor says Massachusetts residents have been positive in their response to it.
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The agencies are now working with Nextdoor neighborhoods “to increase safety and strengthen virtual neighborhood watch.”
“We strive to communicate with the citizens we serve through a variety of methods, including reaching out to them in a variety of social media forums,” said Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police. “We need to reach people where they live their lives, and our social media platforms, including this one, allow us to provide important public safety information directly to our communities.”
More than 2,400 neighborhoods have active communities on the Nextdoor app, according to the company.
“Having the ability to easily communicate with residents is vital to increasing preparedness and resiliency within our Massachusetts communities,” said MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz. “With Nextdoor, we can send information directly into neighborhoods, which allows us to provide residents important preparedness and emergency information.”
The Nextdoor app is free for residents.
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