Emergency Messaging
MEtv uses a powerful four-in-one communication solution called WEB-EM® that enables emergency officials to reach residents wherever they are with just one transmission.
WEB-EM® messages publish to MEtv’s bulletin board, town website www.metuchennj.org,
subscriber e-mail list, and subscriber cell phone text messaging list. Other applications for WEB-EM® include school closing information, event cancellations, and street repair.
Subscribers will receive all levels of emergency messages and have the option to receive any other notice groups posted to the MEtv bulletin board. Notices are divided into 29 different categories. (See the Bulletin Board for a list the categories.)
The subscribers can easily self-manage their accounts via a secure web interface and select which message categories they wish to receive. Subscribers have the option to alter their profile at any time.
Universally Accessible: 4 in 1 communication reaches residents through MEtv, town web site; resident computer email and cell phone email accounts.
Timely: Information can publish and update from any web connected device including remote updates from on-site personnel.
Locally Controlled: Metuchen emergency personal decide when to activate a message; what to say and when to terminate messages. No need to rely solely on the voluntary cooperation and priorities of commercial broadcasters.
Flexible This system can also be used to send internal messages to emergency personnel and first responders.
Easy To Subscribe: Residents can subscribe to a user-friendly menu via yellow link below.
Press Release
Borough of Metuchen Deploys Revolutionary Emergency Communications Technology
WEB-EM™ Provides 4-in-1 Emergency Notification for Local Residents
May 12, 2008 (Metuchen, NJ) – The Borough of Metuchen, New Jersey, has started using the TelVue WEB-EM™ technology which enables Metuchen emergency managers to reach residents with local, timely, accurate, and actionable emergency information via four communication methods. The technology allows Borough officials to enter a message from any Internet connected computer to communicate emergency and other messages simultaneously through Metuchen TV (MeTV) Channel 15, the Borough website, text messages to mobile phones, and email.
This new technology will enable us to communicate with Metuchen residents via MeTV, email, text messages, and Metuchen’s home page: www.metuchennj.org during local emergencies,” said Mayor Tom Valhalla, “It doesn’t simply raise the red flag in warning; it provides communities with the resources needed to communicate information before, during, and after an emergency such as a school closing, road repairs, or other event.”
This system fills a critical role in emergency response by complementing the national Emergency Alert System (EAS) at a county, school district, and local level. The system allows authorized Metuchen officials to add, edit, and manage municipal channel information and content from wherever Internet access is available. The result is a communication resource that is suited to the flexibility required by Metuchen’s emergency managers, school officials, and residents on the move.
“This technology will enable Metuchen emergency services to better communicate with our residents. It will allow the residents to receive valuable and accurate information as it may affect them. I would encourage all residents of Metuchen to sign up for this worthwhile program,” said Metuchen Police Chief James Keane.
TelVue staffs its supporting facility 24/7/365 to insure total system reliability. Metuchen is one of three towns that participated in testing this product.
MeTV station manager, Rich Desimone, brought the original idea to TelVue and has been active in the product’s development. “As a participant in TelVue’s WEB-EM™ beta test, we experienced first hand the value of this emergency capability for our residents and emergency managers.” said Rich Desimone. “MeTV has always been a valuable source for community information and this new service extends our reach ensuring that all residents—even those who are not cable subscribers or are not near their TV sets—have access to critical information during an emergency.”
Metuchen residents can subscribe by going to www.metuchennj.org clicking on the WEB-EM link and following the directions; or by going directly to www.webem.tv. In addition to receiving emergency messages, residents can choose to receive notices from a number of different categories including all Borough departments and commissions, Metuchen schools, the senior center, the library, religious institutions, and civic organizations in the area. For more information, contact MeTV at 732-603-9750 or email metv.metuchennj@verizon.net.
Emergency messages are grouped into four levels of importance. The severity of the event will determine the frequency that the message will appear on the channel.
Some examples of categories that would activate this system are listed below.
LEVEL 1 Emergency Alert (Full system interrupt)
 Explosions- Evacuations
- Severe Flooding
- Major Fire
- Chemical Spill
- Terrorism Threat
- Sever Weather
- School Unscheduled Dismissal
LEVEL 2 Emergency Advisory (Inserted every other slide)
 Water Main Breaks- Major Traffic Accidents
- Amber Alert
- Street Closings, Fire
- Hazardous Roads
- Gas Line Rupture
- Routine Flooding
- School Closings
LEVEL 3 Priority Message (Inserted every category)
 Police Crime Assistance- Missing Persons
- Temporary Traffic Pattern Changes
- New Traffic Signals
- Road Construction
- Event Cancellation
- Government Buildings Closed
LEVEL 4 Important (Inserted every category)
 Street Repairs- Special Meetings
- Borough Offices Closed
- Crime Notices
- Building Early Closings
How the emergency messages are routed through the system.
4 in 1 Emergency Communication
Terrorism, severe weather and the looming threat of pandemics have increased the need to provide timely, accurate and actionable emergency information to those in the immediate proximity of danger.
To be effective this information needs to provide neighborhood level details about where to go; and it needs to reach residents through a variety of media.
MEtv uses a powerful four in one solution that enables emergency officials to reach residents wherever they are with one transmission.
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