The SafeCY app will now send notifications to citizens in the event of a security incident, as an additional measure to provide early warnings, announced the Minister of the Interior and the Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy on Wednesday (11/03). A video was also shared during the announcement, demonstrating how citizens can install the app on their phones and explaining how it works.
The new service, available via the SafeCY app, aims to ensure citizens are informed quickly and can take self-protection measures in case of an emergency. According to Minister Ioannou, “The app has been upgraded to send notifications to all users who have the app installed on their phones in the event of a security incident. Alerts will be sent to phones within a predefined radius around the incident.”
He added that “the notification through SafeCY provides an additional method for early notification of citizens, addressing the limitations of SMS-based notifications, which rely on the address registered with the mobile phone provider rather than the user’s current location.”
The Minister acknowledged that the new system does not cover citizens who have not installed the SafeCY app or do not own a smartphone, but emphasized that it is an additional measure that could reach a large number of citizens until the Early Warning System is fully implemented.
In conclusion, Minister Ioannou reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing and rectifying weaknesses identified in both the shelter system and the Early Warning System. “These actions are part of our clear political will and strategic planning to transform civil defense into a modern, integrated civil protection system. The central goal is to ensure the real protection of citizens, enhance population resilience, and improve the state’s response to emergency incidents,” the Minister emphasized.