Split from shared system with Josephine County; users’ information transferred

Jackson County began its transition to its own emergency notification system this week, rebranding the system to Jackson Alerts.

“We went live yesterday,” Delaney Richmond, emergency manager for Jackson County since October 2024, said Tuesday.

Jackson Alerts will be used by the county for important messages in the community such as wildfire evacuations, missing person alerts and the opening of warming and cooling shelters.

County officials say the new system will benefit citizens while also building upon partnerships with first-response partners.

For Jackson County residents or individuals who work in the county who previously used the Citizen Alert system through Everbridge shared between Jackson and Josephine counties, their information has been transferred to Jackson Alerts. Both alert systems will continue to run through Everbridge.

People who registered for the former Citizen Alert through email should have received a new email with instructions on logging in to make sure their information is up to date.

The verification steps include creating a new username, creating a new password and setting up a security question.

To sign up to receive alerts or learn more about Jackson Alerts, visit jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/emergency_management/jackson_alerts_.php.

“With recent natural disasters occurring throughout the United States, and our approaching wildfire season, now is the perfect time to make sure that your phone number, email and home address are correct so that we can reach you,” Richardson said.

Two separate accounts for work and home

“A resident who lives in one county but works in another will have two separate accounts moving forward,” Richmond said. One account will be for the Jackson County address, which will receive alerts from Jackson Alert, and the second address within Josephine County will receive alerts from Citizen Alert, she said.

Richmond said the transition allows for better control of the alert and warning system, plus specifically enhanced security and control of alerting options — when and how residents receive emergency notifications. Community-focused alert templates and settings, and new features such as Smart Weather, also will allow users to sign up to receive National Weather Service notifications such as red flag and winter storm warnings, Richmond said.

Jackson Alerts enables users to enroll and register up to five physical locations for alerts, as well as selecting their preferred method of receiving alerts to include texts, phone calls or emails.

Jackson and Josephine counties previously operated under a shared account since 2015 with Everbridge — a software company utilized by businesses and public entities.

The decision to move away from a shared emergency alert system involved lessons learned from natural disasters locally and across the U.S. and how emergency personnel were able to respond and communicate with citizens.

The switch also was spurred by staffing changes in Josephine County, Richmond said.

“In 2023, Josephine County made a significant change in the direction of their emergency management program by combining both the IT Director with the Emergency Manager position,” Richmond noted, adding that Jackson County commissioners then moved forward with the plan to have a stand-alone alert system.

Reach reporter James Sloan at jsloan@rv-times.com.