HELENA — In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas that killed more than 130 people, MTN viewer Shannon asked what kind of notification people in Lewis and Clark County would get in an emergency situation.
The Lewis and Clark County Emergency Management Department has different notification systems they use depending on the situation. The department plans for and responds to different kinds of disasters that could impact Helena, East Helena and Lewis and Clark County as a whole.
“We plan and train for everything—fire, floods, earthquakes, cyber-attacks,” Lewis and Clark County emergency manager Kyle Sturgill-Simon said.
While flooding does happen in Lewis and Clark County, Sturgill-Simon said it is very unlikely the county would see flooding similar to what happened in Texas. The most common threat emergency managers see in Lewis and Clark County is fire.
“Sometimes, on a red flag day for fire where we have an ignition near homes, there might be 15 minutes worth of notice,” Sturgill-Simon said.
In a situation like that, residents would be notified through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System—or IPAWS. An IPAWS alert is similar in it’s delivery method to an Amber Alert.
“It’ll force a message through to your phone and tell you about an immediate danger to life an safety,” Sturgill-Simon said.
Most recently, the county used IPAWS during the Jericho Mountain Fire to alert Rimini residents to evacuation warnings.
People to not have to sign up to receive IPAWS notifications, but they do have to opt in to get Smart911 alerts—that is another system the county uses to alert residents to potential emergencies.
There are links on both the county and City of Helena websites to sign up for Smart911 alerts.
“You’ll get a lot more of those messages leading up to a potential worst-case scenario,” Sturgill-Simon said of opting in to Smart911 alerts.
Emergency managers also put out information and notifications on city and county websites, on social media and through local media, like MTN. When looking for information about emergencies, Sturgill-Simon says it’s important to ensure it’s coming from a reliable source.
“Be mindful that we will have official statements out, and look for where the information is coming from,” Sturgill-Simon said.
