Boone County Office of Emergency Management
 

Public Alert & Warning Systems

The Boone County Office of Emergency Management strives to ensure that our citizens can be informed before, during, and after an emergency or disaster through an effective, reliable, integrated, and comprehensive public alert and warning system.

Below are the various ways that those who live, work, visit or study in Boone County may receive emergency alerts.

Boone County Ready Alerts

Boone County Office of Emergency Management offers emergency and non-emergency opt-in notification options.

  • Emergency Alerts: Text BCALERT to 67283 to opt-in to receive emergency notifications.
  • Preparedness Notifications: Text READY to 67283 to opt-in to non-emergency preparedness messaging.

Smart911

Download the free Smart911 app, create your safety profile, and choose which subscription-based alerts you would like to receive.

IPAWS

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobiles phones, radio, and television. Boone County may utilize IPAWS to send the following types of alerts:

  • Imminent Threat Alerts include natural or human-made disasters, extreme weather, active shooters, and other threatening emergencies that are current or emerging.
  • Public Safety Alerts contain information about a threat that may not be imminent or after an imminent threat has occurred. Public safety alerts are less severe than imminent threat alerts.

Outdoor Warning Sirens

Boone County currently has 93 outdoor warning sirens throughout the county. We are actively growing the outdoor warning siren system to ensure that all citizens have adequate siren coverage. Sirens are still the most effective method of warning the population at large in the shortest amount of time. Outdoor warning sirens notify those who are outdoors that they need to shelter indoors and seek further information.

More information about the Outdoor Warning Siren (OWS) system please visit our Outdoor Warning System page.

Social Media

During inclement weather, our office utilizes social media to push emergency messaging as well as response or recovery information to citizens. Follow our office on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BooneCountyOEM for trusted information during severe weather, an emergency, or disaster.