Greenbrier County institutes new Emergency Alert System

​(Maxwellton) Text messages connect us and can even keep us safe through emergency alerts. But they only work if you’re signed up. Greenbrier county is changing its emergency alert process but it’s not the only county. It’s part of a trend in southern West Virginia.

Greenbrier County Homeland Security and Emergency Management is instituting a new emergency alert system. Deputy Director Paula Brown explained emergency alerts saying, “Emergency alerts are the whole gamut. It’s either a critical emergency or it’s a health issue. Or it’s just a convenience issue.”

The old emergency alert system is going away next week. You will need to sign up again if you want text and email alerts about local emergencies like weather alerts, road closure information, boil water advisories, any health alerts, Amber alerts or missing person alerts or alerts from the sheriff’s department looking for tips to solve crimes.

Brown says the new system will be able to send out alerts faster and give more information. She said, “All the weather alerts will now go automatically from the weather service to the system. The detail of the alert- where it is, what you should do, the time frame- that it’s active will go directly to the user.”

The switch is part of a larger statewide trend fueled by rising costs. “County budgets are not growing. So lots of counties in this vicinity are all changing. Raleigh county is changing their emergency alert system. Pocahontas changed. Nicholas county is changing. Fayette county is also changing.”

And emergency alerts aren’t something counties can do without. In the most drastic circumstances these alerts may be the only lifeline. Brown said, “Thee flood of 2016 is a perfect example. I mean that was a catastrophic event. And it had no notice. It’s critical to sign up for these alerts.”

The new system is called Nixle. Nixle Alerts can be sent via Text, Email, Voice, Web, Social Media, and the Nixle Mobile App. Brown says Nixel also keeps a user’s personal identification confidential.

As a resident of Greenbrier County, there are two ways to register:
 1. Text your ZIPCODE to 888777 from your mobile phone
 2. Go to www.greenbriercountyhsem.org/ and sign up via the Nixle Widget

Once registered, residents will receive a confirmation text to their mobile device. Residents may also customize their alert settings by going to www.nixle.com and creating a User Profile.

If you live in another county and you want to make sure you’re signed up for the emergency alert system, contact your county’s emergency management office to find out.