County to Roll Out New Emergency Alert System

Washington County Emergency Management Agency Director Matt Bierman announced the selection of Hyper-Reach as the county’s new emergency notification provider.

The mass notification system, which is used to warn citizens of local emergencies, hazards, and other threats, is set to be fully operational by the end of this month.

“Our job is to protect the citizens of Washington County as effectively and cost-effectively as possible,” Bierman said in a statement. “We reviewed all the major vendors for emergency notification service, and Hyper-Reach gave us everything we needed at an unbelievable price. We’re excited about this new capability.”

Landline phones are automatically enrolled for community alerts, but other services require citizens to enroll. Weather alerts for landline phones and community and weather alerts to mobile phones and email addresses require enrollment.

To enroll, residents and people who work in Washington County can call or text “Alert” to (618) 243-0300, or by visiting the website http://hyper-reach.com/ilwashingtonsignup.html.

Hyper-Reach also has a freeapp, Hyper-Reach Anywhere, that can be downloaded to smartphones. The app allows people to manage and monitor alerts for home and office addresses, as well as addresses of elderly relatives, friends or other loved ones.

Read the full article in this week’s issue.