JIM WELLS COUNTY, Texas — Jim Wells County officials are encouraging residents to sign up for the Be Alert system, a free platform designed to keep citizens and local officials connected with real-time updates and important notifications during emergencies or disasters.
The system allows users to receive customized notifications and select specific alert types — including hail, strong winds, thunderstorms,tornado warnings and flash flooding — without receiving notifications they don't want.
For Jim Wells County resident Dyron Bruns, staying informed during emergencies is important. He remembers experiencing Hurricane Celia as a young child, long before emergency alerts could be sent directly to a phone.
"It knocked down trees and everything. It was scary stuff. Of course, I was real young," Bruns said.
Bruns said today's technology can help keep people safe before dangerous conditions strike.
"So, I think its a good idea to keep - you know - to keep people alert and what the temperatures are gonna be. And what is gonna be the hottest time of the day so those are good things. For safety especially for older people and younger kids," Bruns said.
The Be Alert system replaces Hyper-Reach, an alert system the county previously used that did not work the way officials expected.
"You know we lost a lot of customers with the Hyper-REACH because they weren't able to edit the alerts. We shouldn't have to get an alert at3 o'clock in the morning saying there's gonna be a heat-advisory at 5p.m.," Jim Wells County Emergency Management Coordinator Lance Brown said.
Alice Emergency Management Coordinator Patrick Thomas said the new platform's flexibility is one of its biggest advantages.
"The beauty about this system is that is that it's one system that you can sign up. Whether you work in Orange grove, live in Orange grove,work in Alice, anywhere, work in Premont…No matter where you're at in the county you can sign up, you can customize. And you can get the messages that are important to you as an individual," Thomas said.
The Be Alert system is free, and officials say it is a life-saving tool delivered straight to your phone.
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