FRUITA, Colo. (KREX)— Earlier this month Fruita Police Department responded to reports of a man threatening people with a firearm. The situation escalated when the swat team arrived in his driveway and tried to make contact. That’s when law enforcement sent a reverse 9-1-1 call to warn nearby residents, but how do they reach people nearby when so few people still have landlines?
We use community notifications or emergency notifications to alert the public when there’s something going on that might effect their safety.
Jennifer Kirkland, Manager of Grand Junction 9-1-1 Center
Jennifer Kirkland manages the 9-1-1 center in Grand Junction which covers nearly all of Mesa County and told KREX the alerts they send out have a wide variety of uses. Alerts can be sent out when:
- There’s a dangerous suspect in the area and law enforcement wants people to shelter in place.
- There’s a missing person who law enforcement wants people to be on the lookout for.
- There are severe storms in the area.
- There’s a hazmat situation nearby.
- And more.
It used to be that we call places and over the last 10 to 15 years that’s shifted, we now call people.
Sgt. John Coughran, Frutia PD
Now to receive reverse 9-1-1 calls, also known as emergency notifications, you need to sign up. Kirkland told KREX the entire process is easy. It starts at the Grand Junction City website. From there you mouse over the services drop-down and select “Emergency Alert Registration.”
From there you scroll down to find the big red button that says “Sign up for Emergency Alerts!” and that will take you to this page.
New members will click the sign-up button in the right-hand corner. Once you fill out the information on that page you’ll be all set to receive alerts near your home, workplace, or school. Kirkland told me you can even sign up for alerts near your children’s school or [grand] parents’ home to make sure they’re safe.
