Alert system explained - why you'll get updates when there's an emergency nearby

Around 8:51 p.m. Wednesday, police scanner traffic caught two people discussing what roads they should shut down as a search ensued for someone who jumped out of a car and ran following a police chase.

"Let’s do Yates Mill and Tryon and divert everything to Yates Mill," someone says on police scanner traffic published to Broadcastify.

Between 9:15 p.m. and 9:20 p.m., Wake Emergency Management received a request from the Wake County Sheriff's Office, requesting they send an alert, county officials told WRAL News.

"It sounded like there may have been a potential danger to the public and they wanted to tell people to stay inside their homes, lock their doors and report any suspicious activity," said Darshan Patel, the operations manager for Wake Emergency Management. "So that's where we step in."

At 9:44 p.m., residents or anyone within a half-mile radius of that identified spot began receiving notifications.

Patel says this situation rose to the level of safety concern that they sent alerts using both the opt-in system called Ready Wake and also the federal IPAWS system. Both send notifications based on geolocators.

"Using technologies like this means that we can meet the needs of the public when there is something going on," said Patel. He went on to say technological evolutions like cell phones are beneficials, especially in these emergency situations. "You're not required to be at home at a landline to get these types of alerts."

The system isn’t perfect, though. Newer phones have pretty accurate location information but some older phones might not get updates if they’re using cell towers outside of that area. Patel about 80% of people in the market have the right technology, which means someone in your immediate circle should know what’s going on as it is unfolding.

"The more informed the public is, the more they can be supportive of what's happening and what the emergency responders are doing," he said. "We can also make sure that we're providing information for them to take the necessary actions that they need to keep their family safe."

Patel suggests people opt in to the Ready Wake alerts, too. You can add multiple locations like your home or child’s school so you can stay informed about what’s going on.