Boundary County emergency notification methods

With many new residents moving to Boundary County, it's a good time to refresh our memories on how the local county government will notify residents of an emergency. 

The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and Boundary County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will employ several communication methods to contact residents in case of emergencies. These methods can be selected to notify a small area the size of a street or neighborhood, or make region-wide emergency notifications depending on the situation and the size of the area affected. 

• Door-to-Door Notifications: In situations where immediate action is required, emergency personnel will go door-to-door to inform residents about the situation and provide necessary instructions.

• Everbridge Messages: Everbridge is the fastest way to receive local emergency notifications and is the primary system Boundary County will use to notify residents of calls, text messages, and emails during emergencies. Residents must “opt-in” to this system and choose how they would like to be notified. Sign up at https://member.everbridge.net/index/311440963535101 Everbridge has replaced Nixle, and users of Nixle must still sign up for Everbridge to continue receiving emergency notifications. 

• Social Media: Platforms such as Facebook and X will be used to broadcast emergency updates, ensuring a broader reach and quick dissemination of vital follow-up information. 

- BCSO Facebook Page

- Boundary County OEM/Public Information Office Facebook Page

- Boundary County OEM X (Twitter) Page: #BoundaryOEM

• Boundary County Emergency Information Hotline: 208-696-2626 plays a pre-recorded voice message that will be updated following an incident with any important follow-on information the public needs to know. 

• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): These are messages sent by government alerting authorities through your mobile phone carrier. They include local emergencies requiring evacuation or immediate action, extreme weather warnings, AMBER alerts, and Presidential alerts.

• Emergency Broadcasting System: This system is used to broadcast important emergency information over radio and television stations to reach a wide audience quickly and will be used for a large-scale emergency affecting a wide area. 

County authorities will select the best mix of these communication methods to ensure that residents receive timely and critical information during emergencies, enabling them to take necessary actions to stay safe. 

Often the first emergency messages sent out will be via text message through Everbridge, so if you want to be notified immediately of threats to your safety, sign up for Everbridge now.