The Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority (CCCDA) and Emergency Management Division of the Sheriff’s Office are collaborating to share information this week for Severe Weather Awareness Week. In a series of posts on both agencies’ Facebook pages, information will be shared about emergency alert methods in Calhoun County, preparedness techniques, the difference between watch and warning, and more.
This information is particularly relevant after a tornado touched down in Calhoun County in late February. Questions have arisen about how emergency notifications in Calhoun County work, and this week gives 911 and the Sheriff’s Office an opportunity to help residents understand the methods utilized to share critical information.
Alerts are sent regularly from CCCDA, as well as the Calhoun County Road Department, via Rave Alerts. For emergency texts, residents can text CALHOUN to 67283 to sign up. Or residents can sign up online at calhouncountymi.gov/rave and then choose their method (call, email, or text) to receive updates ranging from weather alerts, traffic disruptions, road closures, and more. Critical messages that are sent from emergency agencies through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) are also sent via Rave Alerts, which is what makes the program exceptionally useful.
In the instance of the February tornado, a message was sent from the National Weather Service via IPAWS in a way that also pushed Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to phones that were within a specific geographic area that was determined at the most risk for tornado. This is in addition to Rave Alerts, and so some individuals who had already opted in to the County’s Rave Alerts received multiple messages about the tornado warning. Some individuals who were outside of that geographic area still received the message about the tornado warning because they had previously opted in to receive Calhoun County Rave Alerts, although they did not also receive the WEA.
This redundancy is intentional. 911 and the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management division want to ensure that critical information is delivered to residents in a timely and efficient manner. We encourage residents to sign up for Rave alerts so that they can be aware of what’s happening in the community. By signing up online, individuals can choose which alerts they’d like to receive and can choose to receive only Emergency Alerts.
This week, these agencies hope to inform residents of their options and of ideas for preparedness so that if and when an emergency strikes, whether weather or otherwise, residents can receive effective communication about what is going on. Everyone is encouraged to follow the Calhoun County 911 and Sheriff's Office Facebook pages for more information throughout the week. Media is encouraged to do stories about this awareness week so that we can help spread this message to more people.
By planning ahead, we can reduce our risk when crises take place.
