Benton County Updates Emergency Alert System

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County residents who rely on the BCAlert system for weather information, community news and other information will see new features in the system this year, but only if they renew their registration with the county.

Michael DeRose, director of emergency communications, said the county contracted with a new company, Everbridge of Glendale, Calif., to provide services for BCAlert.

"It will still be known as BCAlert, but the new system will put a lot more capability into the hands of both the users of the system and the county and city leaders," DeRose said.

One feature of the new system is smartphone apps for both Apple and Android users, DeRose said. Search for "Everbridge" in the app store.

The new system will also allow users to prioritize their devices, instead of receiving all alerts on all devices, DeRose said. Once a user confirms a message was received, the system will stop sending to other devices.

DeRose said the system will allow users to establish "quiet hours" on their devices. He pointed to a recent instance when the system sent out a dense fog advisory, and people received the notice at 3 a.m. With the new system, he said, users can block most non-emergency messages during designated quiet hours.

"They will still receive tornado warnings or other life-threatening emergency messages," DeRose said.

DeRose said the 911 database has been downloaded into the emergency warning system. He said in the event of a tornado warning, for example, the county can draw a polygon on a computer map covering the threatened area. All land-line users in the area will receive the warning, even those not registered with the BCAlert system.

Washington County has its own emergency communications system, according to Rick Johnson, deputy director of the county's Emergency Management Department. The CodeRED system was adopted by Washington County in 2012, he said.

DeRose said the 20,000 users of the BCAlert system should have received an e-mail informing them of the changes and the need to register with the new system.

"Approximately 3,000 people have signed up for the new system," DeRose said Wednesday. "That number is growing every day."

DeRose said some cities have used the system for local information and community news. Pea Ridge Mayor Jackie Crabtree said his city used the system and has worked with Pea Ridge schools to give them access.

"We use it when we've got a road closing or something like that," Crabtree said. "We've also allowed the school system to piggyback onto us to get information out. It's a great benefit to them as well if there's a situation where there's bad weather and they're going to be closed. They can get the information out to parents. Just a while back we had a threat of a tornado, they used it to get the word out to parents."

Centerton Mayor Bill Edwards is an enthusiastic booster of the BCAlert system. He said it gives residents additional sources of information and emergency warnings.

"We have outdoor warning devices," Edwards said. "The main benefit is if you're indoors, you can hear this. I can send a message out myself if we have a tornado or something else. If we had a block that was blown away, I can send out a message to the people who live there saying, 'Please come to the Centerton Fire Department for emergency shelter and assistance'. "

"We had a bank robbery here awhile back," Edwards said. "I could have sent out a picture of the suspect and an alert to the people who lived in the area. As far as weather information, it's been a great tool."