Comment on Iowa officials debut Alert Iowa mass notification system

DES MOINES — Officials with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management on Tuesday announced the development of an Alert Iowa statewide mass notification and emergency messaging system.The new alert system can be used by state and local authorities to quickly disseminate emergency information to residents in counties that use the system, according to Homeland Security agency Director Mark Schouten, who announced the launch of the new alert system at the opening of the 11th Annual Iowa Homeland Security Conference.The system is free of charge and available to all counties So far 34 of Iowa’s 99 counties have signed up to use the Alert Iowa system, officials said.