Less than half of Belgian municipalities use Be-Alert

Only 260 of the 589 municipalities in Belgium have so far joined the Be-Alert platform, which allows for the sending of messages to the public in case of emergency, writes Le Soir. Flanders has largely accepted the platform, but Wallonia and Brussels are lagging behind.

Be-Alert is the result of a long-awaited project that alerts residents immediately in emergency situations using different means of communication, such as voice calls, text messages, social media and sirens. It has been available since 13 July.

Two thirds of local authorities in Flanders have adopted the platform, compared to one in five municipalities in Wallonia. In Brussels, only Anderlecht has adopted the system. Some municipalities do not participate because they already have their own alarm system.

In most cases, however, the transition is a matter of time, according to the newspaper. The Be-Alert subscription costs the municipalities €1,100 a year, an expense that many mayors first need to pass by their city council.

One month in, nearly 200,000 Belgians have already registered with Be-Alert.