Service will e-mail and text residents with important county information

AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Moore County and Nixle are providing residents of Dumas, Sunray, Cactus and other residents of Moore County with a new way of receiving important information like storm warnings, or missing children alerts.

Nixle, an online company, will send a text message or an e-mail to residents that sign up or register for the service. It's intended to help emergency management officials communicate with the entire county much more efficiently.

Examples of what alerts or messages you would receive once signed up range from missing children alerts, storm warnings, fire danger, or even community events. The service has already been used to spread the word about Dumas' new swimming pool grand opening.

Moore County implemented the service back in June, and so far officials like what they see and the potential the service brings, and with society moving more towards texting, the service makes sense.

"With today's age everyone using text messaging and computers it's a lot easier to get a hold of somebody," said Tommy Brooks the Moore County Emergency Management Coordinator.

At the root of the system is the ability to mass communicate with county residents.

"It helps the public if we educate them on the situation at hand it will help them stay healthy or out of danger, and it's easier for us to be able to send out one message to five thousand people versus trying to notify them individually," said Brooks.

It's free to register and sign up, although standard text messaging charges do apply.

Follow the links below for more information.