Bonneville County using new alert system app

Bonneville County residents who receive CodeRED alerts can expect to have to register for a new system called “AlertSense.”

The county has retired the CodeRED system after about 20 years of use. They say the new system is more efficient, costs less and is a quicker response for dispatchers. It will alert users to public safety and emergency issues as well as severe weather.

“Anything that’s gonna be imminent harm to them or their property, this is a way for us to tell the citizens in large numbers and areas of what’s going on around them,” said Greg Warner, director of the Bonneville County Emergency Communication Center. “This helps law enforcement, first responders and again keeps them safe.”

Users can specify what areas they get alerts for. It could be around the home, the neighborhood or even the whole county.

“If a family wants to put a location around their children’s school. So something happens there they’ll be notified even though they’re not within that area at the time,” Warner said. “So it’s a good function that way.”

All citizens have to do is download the app, set your location and be ready for an alert. It will most likely come in the form of a phone call, but the county can now use other forms of contact as well.

“We’re not limited to only a phone call,” Warner said. “Now we can text, we can email. And if we have to send out a forced, a push notification for everybody in an area or a region, we can hit nearly everything all at once. So that no matter what you’re on as far as a device is concerned, we can reach out and contact you, let you know something’s going on around you.”

The app is available in both the Apple and Google app stores. You can download the free MyAlerts app today from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store or text your zip code to 37801. These alerts are provided free of charge, however, standard text messaging rates and other charges may apply from your wireless carrier.

If you don’t want to use the app, but would still like the alerts, you can sign up here.