Mineral County residents now have a new way to receive emergency alerts and important public safety information.

The Mineral County Department of Emergency Services has implemented a new public notification system called CodeRED, replacing the former Smart911 system that has been in use since 2022. Emergency Services Director and Manager Amy Parks said the switch was a planned upgrade designed to simplify operations and reduce costs.

“We searched for a system that would be user friendly for both the dispatchers and the community,” Parks explained. “CodeRED fits the bill and saves the dispatch center money as well.” 

The county signed a three-year contract with CodeRED, averaging $3,000 per year, resulting in a $6,000 savings over the three-year period compared to the previous system.

Unlike Smart911, which collected detailed household and medical information, CodeRED focuses on essential contact details such as address, phone number and email. It’s an opt-in system, meaning residents must register to receive notifications from the dispatch center.

While CodeRED is new to Mineral County, Parks highlighted how public notification systems have already played a vital role during emergencies. 

“To the best of my recollection, it was utilized during the St. Regis shooting incident in 2023, the Superior shooting incident in 2023, the standoff in Superior in 2024, and the shooting in the West End in 2024,” she said.

Residents can easily sign up to receive emergency alerts by visiting accountportal.onsolve.net/mineralcountymt or by texting MINERAL to 24639.

Once there, users can search for “Mineral County, MT” on the map and enter their registration information. Anyone needing assistance can contact the dispatch center directly at 406-822-3555. The new system has already earned praise from dispatchers for its ease of use.

“The dispatchers think it’s a lot easier to create and send messages with this system,” Parks said. 

A successful test message was sent on Oct. 24, and a social media post invited residents to sign up. Parks also noted that CodeRED offers enhanced features for first responders, including the ability to create specialized notification groups for incidents, community advisories, or even water boil notices. Although transitioning to a new system requires residents to register again, Parks emphasized the importance of participation.

“We recognize it is cumbersome to ask the community to sign up for another system,” she said, “but we are very excited at the ability to notify people in a timely manner to keep our communities as safe as possible.”