Ontario expanding emergency message system as nearly 200 wildfires rage

Ontario is giving local authorities access to Canada’s national public alerting system as wildfires continue to burn across the province and prompt evacuations. Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop said Sunday that mayors, First Nations chiefs, police chiefs and other government and emergency management officials can now request that Alert Ready messages be sent to residents via television, radio and mobile devices. The Alert Ready system is used nationwide to alert the public to emergencies such as tornadoes, wildfires and Amber Alerts. In a letter to Ontario’s heads of council, Dunlop…