New Alert System Set To Help Keep Residents Safe

Lightning streaks across the sky during a recent thunderstorm in Mahaska County. (photo by Ginger Allsup/Oskaloosa News)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – There are several ways that individuals can stay informed during severe weather. Traditional sources like TV and radio are now augmented by new technologies such as social media and text services like Nixle.

Mahaska County has, to this point, utilized the Nixle system for the last couple of years, but a new unified system is now in place. this system will enable residents statewide to sign-up and receive notices for where they live, along with places they may visit or utilize for recreation.

MahaskaAlert is part of the Alert Iowa System. 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. The system is available, free of charge, to all counties.

Alert Iowa will allow citizens to sign up for the types of alerts they would like to receive. Messages can be issued via landline 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.

In Mahaska County, the Nixle system will stop working for the current 6,000 users on September 1st. Before that happens, current Mahaska County Nixle system users can expect some text messages to their phones that will remind them to switch to the new system if they want to continue to receive alerts. “For a little while, some people may get two messages,” said Mahaska County Emergency Management Director Jamey Robinson. Current users of the Nixle system can deactivate their phone from the system if they don’t want to receive the two warnings during the transition time.

The new system also has other 911 capabilities that will allow emergency services to alert users in a specific portion of the community to other events that may cause harm to persons or property, or to alert for a lost person. The emergency personnel only need to draw a boundary on a tablet, and landline users within that area are alerted to the potential threat, or to help keep an eye out for something or someone, like a lost person.

The level of precision to the system requires users to enter things like their name and address. According to Robinson, “The address makes the alert specific to your area. This will make it a GPS location so if the NW corner of Mahaska County has a tornado warning and you live in the SW corner your phone wont go off at 2am. Or if we have a missing child or hazmat incident in the center of Oskaloosa and you live in New Sharon you won’t get the alert. We can pinpoint our alerting area, that’s why it needs your address. This information does not get shared with anyone. If you don’t want to put your information in and you don’t mind getting alerts county wide at all hours of the night you can text “mcema” to 69310 and you will get alerts without entering any information.”

When you are enjoying recreation in the county, such as the county conservation parks or the fairgrounds, you will be able to enter a code to the system and receive alerts for that location. This will enable visitors from both inside and outside the county to be safer while visiting places away from home.

To sign up or learn more, visit the Mahaska County Emergency Management website HERE or https://www.mahaskaready.com/mahaskaalert.html.