In 2014, the U.S. Congress set aside funding to prepare for the Ebola outbreak, according to NewsOK. However, since Ebola didn’t take off in the U.S., Oklahoma County has transferred those emergency funds to the development of an app.
With the app, the department will be able to deliver alerts about disease outbreaks and natural disasters. For example, it might deliver an alert on how to prepare for an impending health emergency. Residents who download the app can also sign up to receive news about community events and general health resources.
“We wanted a way to be able to send out quick push notifications to the public,” Blaine Bolding, administrator for emergency preparedness and response at the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, told NewsOK.
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