Emergency officials urge residents to sign up to receive alerts by phone

Officials with Spokane’s emergency alert system are asking residents to register their phone numbers online at AlertSpokane.org to ensure people receive appropriate notifications in times of emergency.

Gerry Bozarth, a spokesman with Greater Spokane Emergency Management, said it’s unclear how many people and phones are not registered with county, but he said it could be “thousands and thousands.”

Still, he pointed to the recent pursuit and capture of Anthony Garver, who escaped from Western State Hospital, as a good case in which local residents could have been notified of the search happening in the foothills of Mount Spokane. After Garver’s capture, many residents in the area called to see why they hadn’t been informed. With their numbers registered, they would’ve received a call from the county.

Unless your home phone service is provided by CenturyLink or Frontier, county officials are urging everyone to register their home and cellphone numbers at AlertSpokane.org.

For those without access to a computer, county officials recommend asking a friend or relative to register the number, or visit a library to use free internet service.