Lenoir County expands use of HyperReach emergency alert system
Lenoir County Emergency Services is urging residents to sign up for HyperReach, a new emergency notification system designed to quickly inform the public during critical situations.
Deputy Director Miranda Futrell said the county selected HyperReach for its speed, reliability and flexibility. The platform can send alerts by phone call, text, email, and even social media. It also allows targeted notifications to a single neighborhood, a defined radius or the entire county.
“We wanted a system that keeps everyone informed quickly during an emergency,” Futrell said.
HyperReach is used for severe weather, hazardous material spills, road closures, missing persons, large-scale incidents and other urgent public safety concerns. Alerts are currently issued by trained officials in Emergency Management, but sub-accounts are being set up for the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and Kinston Police Department. Eventually, Parks and Recreation and the school system may also use the system to keep residents informed.
Futrell said the guiding rule is simple: “If the public needs to take action or be aware immediately, we send it.”
Unlike systems that rely solely on smartphones or internet access, HyperReach can also make automated voice calls to landline phones and deliver TTY/TDD messages for residents with hearing impairments. Residents who sign up may customize how they receive alerts and the types of notifications they want, such as traffic updates or weather warnings. Officials recommend updating contact information at least once a year.
The county conducts monthly tests through the federal Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) and has already used HyperReach for real-world incidents, including a missing person alert and a train blocking multiple roads in Kinston.
Feedback has been positive. Futrell said residents appreciate timely updates and reroute information. One frequent question is why people sometimes receive alerts without signing up. That happens, she said, because HyperReach can send area-based notifications to landlines and some mobile phones linked to addresses in public records.
“That feature helps ensure the community stays safe and informed,” Futrell said. “But signing up is still the best way to make sure you get messages the way you prefer.”
You can sign up here: http://hyper-reach.com/nclenoirsignup.html
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