March 29, 2024

Staying Alert (Iowa)

Clarke County Emergency Management to offer new, in-depth alert system

There’s another way to stay up to the minute on breaking news — Alert Iowa — and it’s being used by Clarke County Emergency Management.

Alert Iowa is a statewide mass notification and emergency messaging system. The system can be used by state and local authorities to quickly disseminate emergency information to residents in counties that utilize the system.

“In Iowa, the counties like us, for example, we didn’t have any way of notifying people when something happened or something was going to happen or we wanted to get information out,” said Allan Mathias with Clarke County Emergency Management. “The programs that were out there, like Code Red and some of those programs, were very costly. It was going to cost us $7,000 or $8,000 a year. And, we just couldn’t cover that.”

Now, Clarke County can. Last year, the Iowa Legislature saw the need for an alert system and was able to provide funding for counties to have a system.

The system is available free of charge to all counties. More than 80 percent of Iowa’s counties have now signed up to use the Alert Iowa system.

Receiving messages

Alert Iowa will allow citizens to sign up for the types of alerts they would like to receive. Messages can be issued via land line or wireless phone, text messaging, email, fax, TDD/TYY and social media.

Messages may contain photo, video and audio attachments to help subscribers better understand the situation at hand, or where to find additional information.

As of March 13, a total of 80 counties have signed up to use the Alert Iowa system. Thirty-six of these counties are now accepting registrations from users and able to issue alerts. Thirteen more counties are able to register users but are not yet issuing alerts.

To sign up for alerts for Clarke County, go to http://entry.inspironlogistics.com/clarke_ia/wens.cfm.

Alerts sent from Clarke County will originate from 69310 for text messages, 641-555-5555 for voice notifications and noreply@clarkecountyalerts.com for email. People should make sure to save this data for later dates.

There are also business cards available that show the website address, as well as a business code that can be scanned by a smart phone, which will take a person to the website to sign up.

Mathias said he’s been working on getting the paperwork done on the county’s alert system for five to six months.

Clarke’s Alert Iowa system has been operational for only a couple of weeks.

Alert selections

While signing up, people may select to receive any optional weather, community and school district alerts.

They may also notify if they have any types of physical handicaps or disabilities. This information will only be used to ensure the most appropriate service in times of crisis.

If people need additional help signing up for Alert Iowa, they may go to Mathias’ office at Clarke County Courthouse.

The emergency management office will be the master administrator for the alert system. However, the sheriff’s office, police department and school districts will also be allowed to send out messages through the system.

“I can be in Des Moines, and with my iPad, send out a message alert,” Mathias said.

Schools/law enforcement

Schools will be able to use it for various uses, such as early outs and snow days.

It will be for anything to do with the protection of life and property, such as cancellations, facility issues, hazardous conditions, major road and bridge closures, weather and natural disasters and health alerts.

The alert system also allows the organizing of individual groups within its system.

For example, if Mathias needs to alert the sheriff and all of his deputies, he can select the group in the system and the message will be sent to those selected.

“I think it’s just a great thing because we’ve been trying for years to get something that we can notify people with. We finally have it,” Mathias said. “Hopefully, the legislature will keep funding it into future years. It’s the only way we have of notifying the people out in the country, or anywhere, if something’s going to happen and let them know ahead of that.”

If people have suggestions, concerns or ideas on what type of alerts they want to hear, they may contact Mathias’ office at the courthouse.

“It can be used for numerous things,” Mathias said. “If people want to be aware of what’s going to be happening, it’s an excellent way for them to get that information.”