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Resident raises concerns about emergency alert coverage after Craig fire
Summary
A resident told the Moffat County commissioners that reverse 911 alerts failed during a recent fire, that an "all clear" was routed to Rio Blanco County rather than Moffat, and raised broader concerns that Moffat Alerts uses only cell numbers while many local residents rely on landlines or lack cell service.
At the Aug. 12 Moffat County Board of County Commissioners meeting, resident Michael Lawson said emergency alerts failed to reach his neighborhood during a recent fire and urged county officials to improve communications.
Lawson said he "didn't get one" reverse-911 notification and that the sheriff told him dispatch is a contract service that "did everything but press the final button to send out the reverse 911, which is why we didn't get one." He said the sheriff told him the later "all clear" message was sent to Rio Blanco County rather than Moffat County.
Lawson told commissioners he is signed up for "Moffat Alerts" but said that system "only takes cell phone numbers," and that many county residents rely on landlines or have no cell service in remote areas. "There's a bunch of people here in this county that don't have cell phones," he said, adding that many residents also do not use Facebook, and that the sheriff's office appears to rely heavily on it for communications.
Lawson said the lack of notifications left some residents unaware of the fire: "If it wasn't for my little dog waking me up and then hearing the halo as it was dumping water, I wouldn't have known about the fire when I was 3 blocks away." He urged the county to ensure contract dispatchers are properly trained and to develop alternative ways to reach residents without cell service.
Commissioners acknowledged the comment and thanked Lawson for bringing the concern to the board. No formal action or changes were recorded during the meeting; commissioners indicated appreciation for the quick emergency response but did not announce follow-up steps on alert procedures in the transcript.
