Sheriff Matt Clifford said people should enroll before an emergency arrives rather than waiting until the message they need is already underway. He said the goal is to make sure residents can receive alerts when they matter most.
The new system is designed to send warnings by text, phone call, or email, and it requires less personal information than the county’s previous service.
Why the county says it is making the switch
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office said the old system did not meet the security standard officials expect from a tool used to protect residents and keep them informed. In a press release, the agency said it wanted to be direct with the community about why the change was being made.
Officials framed the move as both a safety step and a privacy step. They said the new platform is intended to improve the way urgent information reaches the public without asking for as much personal data.
What Ada Alert will warn people about
Ada Alert will be used to notify residents about wildfires, missing persons, severe weather, and other emergencies. County leaders said the system is meant to deliver critical information quickly and in whatever format works best for the recipient…