Members using CFA’s SMS Gateway Service will need to transition to the Supplementary Alerting Service app (SAS) before 14 July to continue to receive pager messages via their mobile phone.
The SMS Gateway Service was introduced as an interim solution for non-operational members who don’t have an allocated pager, allowing them to receive pager messages via SMS to their nominated mobile phone.
With the SAS now available, CFA no longer requires the SMS Gateway Service, and it will cease to be available from 14 July.
The SAS app can be downloaded free by searching for Supplementary Alerting Service in both the Android (Google Play Store) and Apple app stores. Access to the desktop version is available here.
Members using the SMS Gateway will continue to receive SMS notifications from the gateway service until 14 July unless they are manually removed from the system. Members can be manually removed by contacting your District Headquarters.
Any duplication of messages between the SMS Gateway and the SAS will stop once the gateway is switched off.
More information on the SAS and SMS Gateway is available on Members Online.
“With the SAS now up and running the SMS Gateway service is no longer needed as a means of communicating pager messages to those members who don’t have a CFA pager,” Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Operational Communications Jason Lawrence said.
“The SAS app also has a number of additional features and functionality that couldn’t be provided via the SMS Gateway service and it will evolve and enhanced over time to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our members."
The EAS remains the primary means of receiving pager messages due to its reliability across Victoria, and CFA members will be expected to continue to use and carry their pagers.
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Shaunnagh O'Loughlin |