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In the aftermath of the deadly tornadoes that occurred on April 27th, 2011, the citizens of Alabama wanted nothing more than to rebuild their cities and lives, but after coming together in a courageous display of community, they also wanted to prevent such an event from taking place again.

The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency has been no exception to this desire, recently unveiling an app for Apple and Android smart devices in the effort to spread emergency situation awareness.

“Our app should not be the community’s only source of information during an emergency,” Ellen Tanner, director of the St. Clair County EMA, stated. “But it is another convenient source of information for the public. As the saying goes, ‘There’s an app for that!’ – it’s just another way to be tech-savvy.”

“The app is auto-linked to the National Weather Service,” said Tanner.  “It provides the local weather, weekly forecast and road conditions, as well as links to our Facebook and Twitter pages.”

However, the first step that should be taken in an emergency situation, as the EMA attests, is being ready for it beforehand. “The app does have preparedness information we wish to distribute,” said Tanner. This includes the proper procedure to follow in the event of tornadoes, floods and other hazards seen frequently in St. Clair County.

“It has been tested and tweaked over the last six months,” Tanner said of the app, “but it is working now and everyone is encouraged to download it.”

The app, titled “St. Clair County EMA,” is easily found from a mobile device’s online store. It requires an Internet or Wifi connection in order to download and use on your smartphone or other device – such as a tablet or iPad – but is free of charge and brimming with helpful information and resources.