DeKalb Selected for Nextdoor Federal Demonstration

DECATUR, Ga. – DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) was recently selected by Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, to demonstrate best practices to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4. DEMA was selected as an excellent example of community outreach based on content and engagement.

“More than 108,000 DeKalb County residents use Nextdoor,” said Chief Sue Loeffler, director of DEMA. “Educating residents about emergency preparedness is one of our biggest challenges, and Nextdoor’s platform gives us another tool to reach neighborhoods directly.”

DEMA coordinates the response of local agencies in an emergency, ensuring that the most appropriate resources are available to respond to impacted areas in a time of a disaster. Through its various programs, DEMA works with local governments, volunteer organizations and the private sector throughout DeKalb to develop and teach disaster preparedness plans and mitigation activities.

DEMA uses Nextdoor to build stronger, safer and more prepared communities by sharing disaster preparation tips, severe weather threats and emergency alerts with verified residents of DeKalb County on Nextdoor.

DeKalb County residents can sign up for Nextdoor at www.nextdoor.com for free as one way to interact with DEMA. On the platform, neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor websites and DEMA is not able to access residents’ websites, contact information or content. All members must verify that they live within the neighborhood before joining Nextdoor. Information shared on Nextdoor is password protected and cannot be accessed by Google or other search engines.

For more information about DEMA and its services, call 770-270-0413.
 

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