April is National Earthquake Preparedness Month, and in Portland, earthquakes are a constant and significant concern. The City of Portland, in close collaboration with partners in the region, state and federally, is always looking to be better prepared for such an event. Individuals, families, offices and places of business need to be prepared and know about the tools available to them in case of an earthquake or other emergency.

Portland’s Office of Emergency Management (PoEM) unveiled a new feature of the city’s coordinated information website, www.publicalerts.org, designed to rapidly get information out to residents in times of emergency.

You can now go to publicalerts.org, click on the Sign Up button, and register to get voicemail, email and text messages sent directly to your mobile phone in times of emergency. The information you provide is protected and confidential. It takes only a minute to sign up, so register yourself, and tell your friends, neighbors and coworkers about it. In the coming months, they will continue to add features and abilities to the site.

In the meantime, please take a moment to go online, visit www.publicalerts.org, and sign yourself up.