Phillips County Emergency Manager Upgrades Emergency Alert Systems

Broc Pelle, the Phillips County Emergency Manager, recently introduced an upgrade to the emergency alert software to notify citizens of emergency alerts. The Hyper-Reach program was developed as an emergency mass notification system to give public safety, emergency communicators and public leaders the power to create and send critical messages quickly and easily. The transfer to the system began on Feb.15th. 

“The Emergency Management Program in Phillips County was piloted by Bob Heldenbrand and I worked closely with him when I came on board three years ago,” Pelle said. There had been an ongoing discussion that the Phillips County Communications Center needed to improve its Emergency Alert System and now Phillips County is using the Hyper- Reach program. 

“I came into Emergency Management in Phillips County at the near end of the Covid-19 response period where there was so much changing of the official guidance to responses, and much was learned during that period,” he said. 

Emergency alerts inform the public of warnings to floods, fires, severe weather, public health alerts, criminal activity and other emergency situations. The new alert software can send messages in multiple languages. 

Previously, to enroll to sign up for emergency alerts citizens would call 970-463- 3364. The new system adds three additional methods of communications of text “alerts” to the above number, a QR code, or weblink: http:// hyper-reach.com/cophippipssignup.html. 

“People already enrolled to receive alerts would not have to enroll again,” Pelle said. 

Pelle graduated Holyoke High School in 2012. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2012 to 2016. Pelle was then an officer with the Boulder Police Department from 2016 to 2020 before coming back home to Holyoke. 

Broc Pelle can be reached at: broc.pelle@phillipscounty.co.