COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Central Dispatch announced Wednesday it will officially launch Hyper-Reach, a new emergency notification system.
The platform replaces the county’s legacy CodeRED system, which had been in place since the early 1990s but faced scrutiny following the deadly March tornado in Union City.
During that severe weather event, critical data gaps and a prior cyberattack prevented many registered residents from receiving timely warnings.
Prompted by these failures and a low public enrollment rate of only 11%, the Branch County Board of Commissioners approved the platform upgrade to ensure more dependable public safety broadcasts.
The new Hyper-Reach platform will deliver rapid notifications via phone calls, text messages, emails, and TTY/TDD services for the hearing impaired.
While landline telephones are enrolled automatically for community-wide updates, local officials urge residents to manually register their mobile devices, VoIP phones, and email addresses to receive location-specific weather and environmental hazards.
Residents can now sign up by visiting the Branch County Central Dispatch Webpage or by downloading the Hyper-Reach Anywhere mobile app to track real-time emergency alerts based on their current geographic location.
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