During a disaster, seconds count when first responders are trying to provide emergency messages to a community. The one tool they have to communicate with the entire community at once is Story County’s mass notification system called Story County Iowa Alerts. There is one catch though, while home phones numbers were loaded into the system, individuals must to register their cell phones at http://www.storycountyiowa.gov/alert to receive emergency alerts on these devices. Story County Iowa Alerts users can customize how they receive emergency alerts by selecting which devices they register and whether that device gets a voice message, text, or email. Users can also choose alerts for multiple cities so they can be aware of emergencies in towns where their children go to school or where they may have loved-ones for which they are care. There is even the ability for citizens self-identify as having special needs to assist first responders as they conduct their operations. Story County Iowa Alerts will not be used for routine communications with citizens and does not provide severe weather alerts, so when you receive an alert it will be an important emergency communication from your community. If you have questions about Story County Iowa Alerts or difficulties signing-up, contact Story County Emergency Management at 515 382 7315.