Washington County upgrades emergency alert system

Alert Iowa, the statewide emergency alert system, is being upgraded.

The new system will make it easier for residents of Washington County to sign up and receive alerts about severe weather and other emergencies.

Alert Iowa is a statewide emergency notification system the county uses to send alerts to residents.

Improvements to the system will enable Washington County officials to better communicate emergency information directly to residents via voice call, text message, email and social media.

The system now has the capability to translate messages into multiple languages.

“Alert Iowa is a great tool that allows us to push official, real-time alerts to our residents,” Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen said. “These upgrades will not only make it easier for us to notify our residents when emergencies happen or we need to share important safety information, but will let residents choose the best way for them to receive alerts.”

Signing up for Alert Iowa is easy and can be done through the county’s web portal, by sending a text or by downloading the free Smart911 app.

Residents who are currently signed up to receive alerts will need to sign up again.

To sign up:

• Create an account on the Washington County web portal, which can be found on the Washington County Emergency Management website.

• Text WashingtonIA to 67283.

• Download the Smart911 app from Apple or Google Play stores.

Washington County will begin using the new system on Thursday, July 1.

More information on this system is available at homelandsecurity.iowa.go.