Rice County Everbridge Signup is Putrid

During the KDHL special Severe Weather Awareness Show Tuesday it was revealed residents of Rice County have not been signing up for the Everbridge Citizen Alert system.

City of Faribault Emergency Management Director Dustin Dienst revealed the signup statistics saying he knew it was low but didn't realize it was that low. Five percent of residents of Rice County, seven percent of City of Faribault residents have signed up to date. Rice County Emergency Management Director Jennifer Hauer-Schmitz also was not pleased with the numbers.

Steele County uses the same system. CodeRED is used in Goodhue, Le Sueur and Waseca Counties. Dakota County has their own system.

Goodhue County Emergency Management Director Dianne Richter-Biwer says 30 percent of Goodhue County residents have signed up for CodeRED. You can sign up here.

Rice County did start out with the CodeRED system but switched to Everbridge a few years ago. Authorities believed it was more user friendly.

At the conclusion of the Severe Weather Awareness show Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn stopped by the Law Enforcement Storm Center and said he was issuing an order somewhat, "Tongue in cheek for every home in Rice County to get signed up."

The Sheriff said the alerts deal with other things authorities might want to let us know about like hazardous materials incidents or a child missing.

Here is a link for you to sign up for Everbridge if you live in Rice or Steele County. Don't delay. Do it now. It could literally save your life.