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With the recent storms and more forecasted to roll in later this week, the Troup County Emergency Management Agency reminds citizens to enroll in CivicReady, the Emergency Notification System for the county. 

CivicReady is a mass notification system that sends messages from the Troup 911 Center and the National Weather Service to individuals’ cell phones who sign up. 

To view notification options and sign up for emergency alerts via text, email, and/or phone call, visit https://www.troupcountyga.gov/E911/Notifications and enter your contact information. Residents can also text their zip code to 38276 to receive emergency alerts via text. These alerts are provided free of charge, but standard text messaging rates may apply. Call (706) 883-1610 ext. 0 for questions regarding setting up or modifying an account. 

“This [system] seems to be the most comprehensive and all-encompassing…it’s directly tied to the National Weather Service, so as they issue a severe thunderstorm watch or tornado warning, they’re automatically sent through if those are some of the notifications that you signed up for,” said Zac Steele, the EMA director. 

Along with weather alerts, it allows the Troup E-911 Center to send its own messages, up to 100 characters. Steele said they use the service regularly for public safety announcements. Just recently, they sent out a message on the Red Flag Warning and burn advisories.

Steele said the service can also send out alerts specific to certain areas. 

“In situations where you have evacuations or incidents that we’re trying to get people to stay away from certain areas, we can actually compile that into like a two, 5 or 10-mile radius…around that incident, and that message will go out to any of those phones that are within whatever that circumference is,” he added. 

While CivicReady is a tool, the EMA director asks citizens to have multiple types of alert systems should text messages, emails, and phone calls be unavailable. The county is currently working to procure grants to buy weather radios for vulnerable populations. 

The alert system aims to replace some of the more antiquated methods of notification, like tornado sirens. 

“We have decided not to repair them just because they’re outdated technology and they’re really intended for people outdoors anyway. So we’re really promoting the CivicReady platform on smartphones for these people to have those resources.”

He explained that the city of LaGrange still operates its sirens. However, in the county the sirens are old and difficult to repair, necessitating new technologies. 

“It helps us keep the public awareness out there. That’s the number one key: life safety. In the emergency management world, we want to make sure everybody’s aware of what’s coming and nothing surprises them,” Steele said.