Washington & Yuma County residents in Colorado need to sign up for Hyper-Reach for ALERTS! CODE RED NO LONGER IN USE

PRESS RELEASE – Washington County, Colorado Emergency Management:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Washington–Yuma Combined Communications (WYCC) Yuma, Colorado

Date: 03/1/2026

*Washington & Yuma Counties Select Hyper-Reach as Emergency Notification Provider

Hyper-Reach Chosen to Help Protect Lives and Property!

Telephone-based and digital mass notification systems are trusted by thousands of public safety agencies nationwide to warn citizens about local emergencies, hazards, and other threats. Today, Washington–Yuma Combined Communications (WYCC) announced the selection of Hyper-Reach to provide next-generation emergency notification services for Washington and Yuma Counties. WYCC expects the system to be fully operational by the end of March 2026.

**Your Code-Red alert system will no longer receive alerts. You must sign up for Hyper-Reach!

The new emergency alert system will deliver rapid notifications during hazardous and urgent situations through a combination of phone calls, text, and email messages, and TTY/TDD services for the hearing impaired. The system can reach thousands of targeted households in seconds and simultaneously extend alerts via social media, Alexa-enabled smart speakers, browser notifications, and FEMA’s Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system for most mobile phones manufactured since 2011.

Washington and Yuma Counties plan to use the service primarily for alerts related to weather and environmental hazards, criminal activity, missing persons, and other threats to public safety.

Landline phones are automatically enrolled for Community alerts. However, Weather alerts to landline phones — and both Community and Weather alerts to VoIP phones, mobile phones,

and email addresses — require residents to enroll.

Residents and individuals who work in Washington or Yuma Counties are encouraged to enroll now using a local address by:

• WASHINGTON COUNTY RESIDENTS:

• Calling or texting “Alert” to 970-360-5399, or

• Going to the website: http://hyper-reach.com/cowashingtonsignup.html

• YUMA COUNTY RESIDENTS:

• Calling or texting “Alert” to 970-360-8077, or

• Going to the website: http://hyper-reach.com/coyumasignup.html

Residents can also enable alerts on Alexa-enabled smart speakers by saying, “Alexa, enable Hyper-Reach,” and following the provided instructions. In addition, residents may download the Hyper-Reach Anywhere smartphone app. This free app allows users to manage and monitor alerts for their home, workplace, and other addresses of concern, such as those of family members or friends.

About Hyper-Reach:

Hyper-Reach is a proven mass notification system with more than 20 years of experience in emergency messaging. Hyper-Reach delivers alerts via telephone, SMS text, email, smart speakers, and social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and Nextdoor. Beyond emergency alerts, Hyper-Reach is also used for AMBER Alerts, hazardous material warnings, and active threat notifications. Customers include 911 centers, law enforcement agencies, schools, and businesses across the country.