Pitkin County’s emergency alert system is getting an upgrade.
Pitkin Alert is the system used by county emergency personnel to communicate urgent messages; it is now being updated to include optional categories, like storm alerts directly from the National Weather Service.
Dispatch director Brett Loeb said the system’s importance became especially clear during the Lake Christine Fire.
“When we asked people to evacuate, they did just that and everybody really responded well,” he said.
Subscriptions to the service nearly doubled in July; about 10,000 people now receive emergency alerts.
Loeb said another new feature will allow the county to send messages to those who opt-in during special events. This will be available for the first time during the Labor Day Jazz Aspen Snowmass concerts.
All current subscribers will need to update their information before Oct. 1, when the county will no longer send messages through the old system.