Victoria Police issue statewide fire SMS and Twitter alerts

Victoria Police have taken the unprecedented step of sending a text message to every mobile phone in the state, warning of extreme weather conditions on Monday night and Tuesday, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. The text message read:

Msg from Vic Police: Extreme weather in Vic expected Mon night & Tues. High wind & fire risk. Listen to local ABC Radio for emergency updates. Do not reply to this.

It is the first time Victoria Police has utilised SMS messaging as a virtual doorknock to all Victorians, according to police spokesman Glen Atwell. The same message was also sent via Twitter, linking to the Victoria Police website.

emily | 12:16 PM | SMS used by the Police |
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