One way the Kenney Administration is working to make government more accessible than ever before is by holding regular Twitter chats across city departments.

Like the monthly #AskKenney Twitter Chat, #AskPhilly serves as a regular opportunity for citizens to share real time feedback and learn more about how their government works.

This month, Director of Emergency Management, Samantha Phillips, spent an hour taking your questions and highlighting ReadyPhiladelphia: the City’s free text-based notification alert system.

ReadyPhiladelphia sends you weather, emergency, and SEPTA alerts based upon specific addresses you get to choose. To date, over 17,000 Philadelphians have signed up for the alert system. If you’re not one of them, sign up online right now!

Check out highlights from the chat below!

One month after one of the largest snowstorms in Philadelphia history, tweeters asked about weather response:

Sam offered advice for how local residents can prepare for emergency events:

The Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia wondered how various modes of transit fit into emergency and evacuation planning:

SEPTA Transit Chief Thomas Nestel asked what one piece of preparedness advice Sam would give to residents:

Another tweeter asked about OEM’s accessibility and how all Philadelphians could readily access alerts:

With last autumn’s papal visit still fresh in people’s minds, and the Democratic National Convention coming up this summer, folks wondered about security:

Some wondered about the team effort that goes into emergency response:

Throughout the chat, Sam offered several facts about Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management, too!

Be sure to follow the Office of Emergency Management and it’s Director, Samantha Phillips on twitter!