The Chilean coast. Millions of Chileans were alerted to an approaching tsunami this week by an Israeli mass notification technology. Photo: Wikimedia Commmons.

JNS.org – Millions of Chileans were alerted to an approaching tsunami this week by mass notification technology developed by an Israeli company, eVigilo.

After a major earthquake rocked Chile on Tuesday, the authorities had little time to inform citizens about an approaching tsunami. Thanks to the government’s efforts to have eVigilo’s capabilities become a central part of large-scale emergency contingencies, first responders could communicate with the residents on the coast in real time, sending out evacuation orders through multiple platforms.

After more than 400 Chileans lost their lives in an earthquake and a tsunami in 2010, eVigilo was awarded a government-issued tender for setting up a new tsunami early-warning system in Chile. According to eVigilo’s website, the company’s systems allow for a “geotargeted multi-channel alert and notification system reaching millions of people within seconds.” The company uses SMART (Scalable Messaging Application in Real-Time) technology.

The Israel Defense Forces Homefront Command has also used eVigilo to communicate with citizens during large-scale civil defense exercises and emergencies. During rocket attacks, Gaza-area communities are often instructed to seek shelter using eVigilo’s system.