Bernalillo County recently introduced a new way for the public to enroll in emergency notifications using an emergency notification system called Everbridge. People can receive alerts via landline, mobile text, or email on severe weather, fire risks, road closures, and other relevant updates, a press release from the county government said.

“We are very excited to roll this out because in a disaster, seconds matter. The sooner we can get the information out to the public so they can act, the better,” says Emergency Management Director Thomas Walmsley.

To subscribe to Everbridge alerts, individuals can send a text with the keywords "BernCounty" or "Bernalillo" to 888777, which will initiate automatic phone enrollment. A response mechanism will provide an automated reply equipped with a link that allows the enrollee to include additional contact information to ensure comprehensive notification coverage.

County employees are automatically included for internal communication alerts to cover a wide array of events, ranging from weather-related delays and closures to indispensable safety notifications.

Residents who previously registered for emergency alerts through Nixle should seamlessly continue to receive alerts via Everbridge. Their contact information has been transferred from Nixle to Everbridge, the press release said.

Covering an area of 1,160 square miles, Bernalillo County stands as New Mexico's most populous county, accommodating over 676,000 inhabitants. The county government caters to the public with services, serving residents in Albuquerque, Los Ranchos, and Tijeras, as well as approximately 106,000 inhabitants residing in unincorporated county regions. The county government has a workforce of about 2,800, the press release said.