A First-in-the-Nation Emergency Alert for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Mainers!
The Maine Turnpike Authority held a press conference Friday, September 4, at the Kennebunk Northbound Service Plaza to announce ALRM, a first-in-the-nation emergency alert app designed specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing people—right here in Maine!
www.getalrm.com
Beginning September 4, ALRM technology will be available at both the Kennebunk Northbound and Southbound Service Plazas, making the Maine Turnpike the first transportation organization in the country to host this accessible emergency alert technology.
ALRM was created by Gavin Phelan, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School who has been hard of hearing since birth. Gavin was deeply affected by the tragic October 2023 Lewiston mass shooting. Of the 18 people killed and 13 injured, four people killed and five people injured were members of Maine’s deaf community.
Gavin recognized a frightening gap: when an emergency happens, people who cannot hear an alarm, siren, or gunshot may not know that danger is near. He stayed with the problem—and found a solution: ALRM.
Thank you, Gavin, for turning a heartbreaking event into an effort to make Maine safer and more accessible for people with hearing loss.
Our own HLAA DownEast Vice President Margaret Myatt spoke at the press conference on behalf of our chapter, expressing our support for Gavin and his efforts to bring better emergency communication tools to Maine’s deaf and hard-of-hearing population.
www.getalrm.com
Attendees at the news conference on September 4, 2026.
