Lehi City News
City shifts emergency alerts from Everbridge to Lehi Connect
April Slaughter | Lehi Free Press
As National Preparedness Month begins, Lehi residents now have a new place to receive emergency notices, along with updates on everything from road work and power outages to library programs and city events.
Lehi City is moving its emergency notifications from Everbridge to Lehi Connect, a broader communication platform introduced Aug. 12. People who have received Lehi emergency alerts through Everbridge will now receive those messages through Lehi Connect.
The change gives residents a timely reason to check how the city can reach them before an emergency happens. National Preparedness Month, observed each September, is a Federal Emergency Management Agency campaign that urges households and communities to prepare for disasters and other emergencies.
Lehi Connect is more than an emergency alert system. Residents can choose updates by topic and select whether messages arrive by text, email or phone call. The system can also send notices to a specific area, allowing the city to contact people affected by a neighborhood road closure, utility problem or similar local issue.
Emergency messages available through Lehi Connect may include severe weather, public safety alerts and emergency road closures, according to the city. Other categories cover city news, public meetings, parks and recreation, fiber service, planning and building, water and streets, the library, the Literacy Center and the Senior Center.
That ability to narrow routine messages may help residents get useful information without signing up for every city announcement. A family interested in recreation programs and library news, for example, can select those topics, while someone focused on construction or utilities can choose a different mix.
Lehi utility customers already have an account available in the system. They will automatically receive essential utility communications, including notices about service interruptions, billing reminders, water leaks, water use and road projects affecting their area. Those messages are separate from optional city news subscriptions.
Other household members are not left out. Spouses, children, renters, and anyone else who does not pay a Lehi utility bill can create an account using a phone number and email address.
One important alert channel is not changing. Emergency notifications sent directly by Central District Dispatch — often called reverse 911 alerts — will remain separate from Lehi Connect. The city says dispatch sends those notices independently in coordination with police and fire agencies. In a life-threatening emergency, residents should still call 911.
The distinction matters because no single app or account covers every warning a person may receive. Lehi Connect is the city’s new platform for its own emergency communications and everyday updates; dispatch alerts will continue through their existing process. Wireless emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies may also appear automatically on compatible cellphones and are not part of a Lehi Connect subscription.
The launch arrives at a useful point on the calendar. Preparedness begins with information: knowing what is happening, where it is happening, and what action officials want people to take. But an alert works only if it reaches the right person on a device that is charged, nearby and connected.
Residents can use September as a reminder to log in, review their contact information and select the notices they want. Households should consider creating accounts for more than one adult, so an emergency message does not depend on a single phone. People who have recently moved, changed phone numbers or switched email addresses should make sure their details are current.
Lehi’s Emergency Management office also recommends that households prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days after a disaster, when responders may not be able to reach everyone immediately. That means planning for shelter, first aid, food, water and sanitation.
The city’s preparedness guidance urges families to make a communication plan, identify meeting places and escape routes, keep emergency contacts and medical information current, plan for pets and people with disabilities, and practice what they would do. Emergency kits should include water, nonperishable food, flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies, and copies of important documents.
Signing up for alerts is a small step, but it closes a common gap in household plans. A supply kit is more useful when a family knows whether to shelter in place or evacuate. A communication plan works better when everyone sees the same official instructions promptly.
Residents can access Lehi Connect through lehi-ut.gov by selecting “Lehi Connect” under the “Living in Lehi” menu. The city’s Emergency Management page also links to the hub and includes its personal and family preparedness guide, along with state and federal resources. https://lehi-ut.gov/living-in-lehi/lehi-connect
For residents accustomed to Everbridge, the takeaway is simple: Lehi’s messages are moving to Lehi Connect, and September is a good time to make sure the new connection is ready before you need it.
