The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office is announcing a change to the county’s emergency alert system, which does not affect messaging but will require those currently registered for the service to re-register soon.
The change affects only those registered through Pueblo County’s alert notification system. The city’s alert system is not affected by the change.
Pueblo County is switching to the RAVE Alert system after RAVE Mobile Safety merged with the county’s current provider, Swift911. The alerting system is used to send emergency alerts en masse to those who opt-in to receive the alerts. The public safety alerts are delivered via voice, text message or email to registered cell phones. The alerts include information related to emergencies such as with wildland fires, severe weather, flooding, law enforcement activity, major road closures and chemical hazards. The alerts and notifications provide critical information on actions the public should take such as shelter-in-place or evacuate.
Those who have currently registered their cell phones to receive Pueblo County alert notifications through the SWIFT911 system are required to re-register with the new RAVE system by Feb. 28 to avoid disruption in receiving emergency alerts. Anyone who has not yet registered to receive emergency alerts is encouraged to do so. It is recommended that everyone with a cell phone in your household register to receive critical and potentially life-saving information during emergencies.
To register a cell phone for the RAVE Alert system, go to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office website at www.pueblosheriff.com. Go to the “How Do I” tab at the top and under the “Sign Up For” tab click on emergency notifications and click on the “Register Now” icon in the middle of the page. Complete the form, submit it and you are registered.
“We encourage the public to get registered on the RAVE Alert system now as there could be a chance you can miss receiving important alerts if you are not registered by Feb. 28,” said Joshua Johnson, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Coordinator. “It’s quick and easy to register.”