Nome has long struggled with a high number of missing persons cases, many involving Alaska Native residents. Without a system like Amber or Silver Alerts, communication often falls through the cracks. Now, a new app could change that. The tool would be the first of its kind for the city and region.
In June, Nome authorities and volunteers scrambled to locate 67-year old dementia patient, Dexter Irigoo, who was staying at Norton Sound Health Corporation’s patient hostel. He wandered away from the facility, prompting a more than 24-hour search by the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, the hospital and residents.
Irigoo was found alive, but in critical condition. Nome City Manager, Lee Smith, said the incident revealed deep problems in emergency communications.
“We could have jointly, fire, police, volunteers, the hospital, all of us could have done a better job if we could have communicated quickly with the public to find out what people saw, what they know. Also, flushing through the bad information,” Smith said.
Smith’s answer is the MyNome app, set to launch in the coming weeks. The City contracted Utah-based company TextMyGov for the app. The company assists local governments by designing mass texting programs. The city will pay over $6,000 for the first year, and $4,800 for the years after.
“I’m frugal, so I did say, can I get a discount? Being a smaller community, you're able to get a sliding scale on cost,” Smith said.
Smith said the app interfaces with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which coordinates the federal government’s response to disasters. The app will connect to FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, known as IPAWS, the same system that sends weather and Amber Alerts. He said if disaster strikes, or if a person goes missing, alerts would go out in less than two minutes.
“In a missing person, some things like a photograph will be in a link,” Smith said. “You then will hit the link and you would see the gentleman's photograph. You'll see more information.”
Beyond emergencies, Smith envisioned the app eventually having different groups for different types of alert.
“If you'd like to get event things, well, tomorrow's the Fourth of July, and you'd hit the link and go 'cool’," Smith said. “We can have a link and it shows the whole day's events.”
Smith said the city will be getting Nome resident’s feedback about what each group is going to be called.
“So we're going to be using some community words that I might not be familiar with. Lost dog, it's not lost dog, it's animal services,” Smith said.
Smith said residents will be able to sign up in the coming weeks. He said the city plans to set up sign-up booths around town. There will also be signage at the airport with QR codes linking to the app.
