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Comal County approves FEMA agreement to send cell‑phone emergency alerts via IPAWS
Summary
The Commissioners Court approved a memorandum of agreement with FEMA to give Comal County access to the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), allowing targeted cellphone emergency notifications; contact information in the MOA will be updated once emergency management staff are in place.
The Commissioners Court voted June 18 to approve a memorandum of agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will allow Comal County to send location‑targeted emergency alerts through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, commonly known as IPAWS.
County Judge introduced the item, saying the county had not previously had IPAWS access and that the system “sends a signal to the cell phone tower. So anyone's cell phone within that, space or that radius would receive an emergency notification, assuming that their notifications were turned on.” Commissioner Crownover moved approval; Commissioner Leacock seconded. The court approved the MOA by voice vote.
The agreement is intended to give county officials the ability to deliver time‑sensitive alerts to residents in defined areas during emergencies. The judge told the court that Appendix B of the paperwork — the contact information section — will be updated once the county’s emergency management staff positions are filled, and that the document would be finalized before implementation.
No recorded roll‑call tally was provided in the transcript; the action was taken by the court following the motion and verbal assent. The MOA does not change how residents receive emergency messages unless they have notifications enabled on their mobile devices.
The court's approval authorizes the county judge to sign the agreement and directs staff to complete the administrative updates required for IPAWS activation. The item concluded with the court approving the motion and moving to the next agenda item.
