15 Years of MapAlerter: From the First Alert in Wexford to 10.6 Million Public Notifications
Published in The MapAlerter Blog, March 16th 2026
Since the first MapAlerter alert issued by Wexford County Council in 2011, the platform has helped local authorities deliver millions of important public alerts to communities across Ireland.
On March 16th, MapAlerter marks an important milestone 15 years of helping local authorities communicate vital information to their communities. The first ever MapAlerter alert was issued on March 16th 2011 by Wexford County Council. What began as a simple way to send targeted public notifications has since grown into a trusted communication platform used by local authorities across Ireland to deliver important alerts directly to the public. Since 2011, Wexford County Council alone has issued more than 7,500 MapAlerter alert campaigns, delivering over 10.6 million notifications to residents via email and SMS. Over the past decade MapAlerter has become an important part of how councils share real-time information with residents, helping communities stay informed about everything from severe weather to local service disruptions.
The Beginning of MapAlerter
In 2011, local authorities faced a common challenge: how to quickly communicate important information to the public in a clear and reliable way. Traditional communication channels often relied on Local media, Website notices and Radio announcements. While effective, these methods did not always ensure that the right people received the right information at the right time, particularly during rapidly evolving situations such as storms, flooding, or infrastructure disruptions. MapAlerter was developed to address this challenge by allowing councils to send targeted alerts directly to people in specific geographic areas.The first alert issued by Wexford County Council demonstrated the potential of this approach a simple message delivered directly to the people who needed it most.
15 Years of Alerts in Wexford:
Since that first alert in 2011, Wexford County Council has made extensive use of the platform to communicate with residents across the county. Over the past 15 years, the council has issued over 7,500 alert campaigns, sending more than 6.8 million emails and over 3.7 million SMS messages to subscribers. These alerts have helped keep communities informed about severe weather events, road closures, water service disruptions, infrastructure works and other important local updates. The scale of these numbers highlights the important role that direct communication now plays in helping local authorities ensure residents receive timely and relevant information when it matters most.
A Platform Designed for Public Safety
Since the first MapAlerter message was issued in 2011, the platform has supported thousands of alerts issued by local authorities across a wide range of situations. These alerts have covered severe weather warnings, flood risks, road closures, water service disruptions, public safety notices and local infrastructure updates. By allowing residents to receive notifications relevant to their own area, MapAlerter helps ensure that important information is delivered quickly, clearly and directly to the communities affected. This targeted approach reduces confusion and enables local authorities to communicate efficiently during both routine updates and emergency situations, helping residents stay informed when it matters most.
Supporting Local Authorities
Over the years, MapAlerter has evolved in response to the practical needs of local government. Local authorities require communication systems that are reliable during emergencies, simple for staff to use, capable of reaching large audiences quickly and flexible enough to support a variety of different alert types. MapAlerter was designed with these requirements in mind, enabling council staff to issue alerts quickly and accurately when communities need information most. As a result, the platform has become a valuable part of the wider communications toolkit used by councils to engage with residents and keep them informed about issues affecting their local area.
Map showing the widespread reach of MapAlerter across County Wexford, with thousands of residents receiving local alerts issued by Wexford County Council.
A Proven Communication Tool for Local Authorities
Over the past 15 years, MapAlerter has demonstrated how targeted alert systems can support local authorities in communicating clearly with the public during both routine updates and emergency situations. From severe weather warnings to infrastructure disruptions, direct notification systems help ensure residents receive reliable information quickly and efficiently. As local authorities continue to place greater emphasis on public safety, transparency and community engagement, platforms like MapAlerter play an increasingly important role in helping councils deliver timely updates to the communities they serve.
From One Council to a Trusted Platform
The first alert issued by Wexford County Council in 2011 marked the beginning of what would become a widely used public information service. Over the following years, MapAlerter expanded as more local authorities recognised the value of a system that allows them to communicate clearly, directly and efficiently with the public. Today, 23 councils across Ireland use MapAlerter to deliver alerts and important updates to residents. Fifteen years later, the platform continues to support councils in delivering timely information to communities when it matters most.
Thank You!
Reaching 15 years would not have been possible without the support of the many local authorities and agencies who have used MapAlerter over the years. A special acknowledgement goes to Wexford County Council, whose first alert in 2011 marked the beginning of the MapAlerter journey. As MapAlerter reaches this milestone, we would like to thank all of the councils, partners and communities who have supported the service over the past 15 years. Their continued engagement ensures that important information can reach the people who need it helping communities stay informed, prepared and safe. As MapAlerter enters its next chapter, the focus remains the same as it was in 2011: helping local authorities ensure communities receive the information they need, when they need it most.