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1. What is Voyent Alert! ?

Voyent Alert! is a notification system that uses advanced geospatial technology to send personalized alerts about emergencies and day-to-day activities.

Rather than receive a generic message about an event taking place in your town, Voyent Alert! will provide detailed information that is relevant to you. Our alerts are able to provide necessary details including an event’s distance from you, maps of the impacted areas, and your next steps. This could be a reminder to move your car for street cleaning or step-by-step directions to the nearest evacuation shelter.

The result is that the message you receive provides the most important information, allowing you to make better, more informed decisions.

2. Does Voyent Alert! collect personal information?

No.

The only information required to register is a postal code or address and a phone number or email address. No other personal information such as your name, address, or date of birth is required. Please see the Voyent Alert! Privacy Policy for more details.

3. Do I have to pay to use the service?

No. You will not be charged to download the Voyent Alert! app or use this service.

4. Am I going to be bombarded with useless messages?

No. You will only ever receive a notification if it is relevant to a location or a specific topic you have selected.

To identify which topics you would like to subscribe to, visit the “My Topics” menu on your Voyent Alert! account.

5. How is this different from other regional alert systems like Alberta Emergency Alert?

Federal and provincial services advise users about issues at a broader provincial or district level. These alerts provide general warnings in order to effectively notify the variety of users in their regions.  How the issue might impact you, specifically, might not always be immediately clear.

Voyent Alert! works on a more detailed level. We provide you with customized information including where the alert is relative to your location and your immediate next steps.

Additionally, as Voyent Alert! is administered at the community level it can be used for general day to day communications and local services.

6. Is training required to use the service?

No, Voyent Alert! is very simple to use.

When you first register helpful hints are included to guide you in setting up your account. If you ever get stuck, click on the “?” on the side of the screen for assistance. Additional support can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions page or by submitting a question directly.

7. I am concerned about privacy issues. Where is the service operated from?

Voyent Alert! is a cloud-based service utilizing Canadian-based resources for operations and storage.

ICEsoft undertakes measures to ensure that Voyent Alert! is compliant with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act of Canada (PIPEDA).

8. How can I use Voyent Alert! with my do not disturb feature?

If you choose to give Voyent Alert! permission, you can receive emergency alerts on your device when Do Not Disturb Mode is turned on. This will give permission for all alerts and notifications to be sent to your device at any time. We recommend turning this feature on to ensure you get critical alerts in the evening.

If you receive alerts through a iOS or Apple Mobile App:

1. Go to Settings and select the Voyent Alert! App.
2. Select Notifications. The wording may differ depending on your device.
3. Turn ‘Allow Critical Alerts’ on. This will allow critical alerts to send a notification and play a sound when your phone is muted or Do Not Disturb is turned on.

If you receive alerts through an Android Mobile App:

1. Go to Settings and search for ‘Do not Disturb permission’ or ‘special access’ (this may vary depending on your device).
2. Turn Voyent Alert to on.
3. Please note, certain devices may require alternative steps. Please view our  FAQ for using DND with specific Android Devices.

If you receive your alerts via SMS/Text Messaging:

1. Add Voyent Alert! as a Contact in your phone. Voyent Alert! messages will always be sent from the same number, so you go to the most recent Voyent Alert! notification and add a new contact.
2. Add Voyent Alert! as an allowed caller.  The process for determining allowed callers will change depending on the phone you use. For iOS Apple devices you will need to add the Voyent Alert! contact to your favourites.