Navajo County has launched a revamped mass emergency notification system, Ready Navajo County. The upgrade replaced the previous Reverse 911 system to communicate county alerts to citizens and businesses during emergencies and other critical events effective July 1, with several significant improvements.

The previous system compiled a data feed from Frontier Communications based on public contact information for people and businesses, and allowed county residents to opt-in to the county’s emergency contact registry via email address only, which restricted residents without an active email address who wished to register. Navajo County Emergency Management Director Mary Springer says that this inconsistency presented a glaring concern to county health and emergency management teams.

“One of our concerns has been, ‘How do we contact people with functional needs, who are wheelchair bound, hearing impaired or dialysis patients?’ We wanted to find an emergency notification system which would address those needs. The new system offered the most functionality and ease of use,” she said.

Springer says Navajo County will use the Ready Navajo County emergency notification system to alert residents about a variety of events, ranging from severe weather to fires, floods and other emergencies. Messages will be sent to residents by their preferred contact method–cell phone, SMS, home phone, email, fax, pager and more–to ensure real-time access to potentially lifesaving information. Residents formerly listed in the Navajo County 911 database will be automatically subscribed to alerts by phone, but the Ready Navajo County notification system allows citizens to self-register, provide additional contact information or opt out.

One of the most unique features of the system is its optional mobile app, which offers users the ability to profile specific access and functional needs, such as a service animal, life-sustaining equipment or medical condition, that may be critical to EMS crews during a state of emergency. County emergency responders are then able to sort, identify, geographically tag and communicate directly with critical-needs residents in real time. “We can actually send a message directly to a person and ask, ‘Do you need help?’ and they can respond back to us,” said Springer.

New residents are encouraged to register immediately to receive Ready Navajo County alerts at http://www.navajocountyaz.gov/Departments/Emergency-Management/.