This new notification system alerts subscribers of AMBER alerts, severe weather warnings and other emergencies via text message.

People can also sign up for landline calls or e-mails from the Cole County Sheriff's Department. The program is voluntary, so only subscribers will receive the messages. Cole County residents can go to the Sheriff's Department Web site to sign up.

Once there, click on "Sign Up Today," then type in your information. Subscribers can check all or just some of the regions of Cole County. Within moments of signing up, subscribers will receive a verification text message to their cell phones.

Cole County Sheriff Greg White said he hopes everyone in the county will sign up.

"We would rather that people not wait until there's an emergency to figure out that they ought to do this. We would rather they do this on the right side of the power curve and subscribe as soon as possible," White said.

The system does not only send messages to residents. People in Cole County can text message the Sheriff's Department in case of an emergency.  This enables someone with low signal strength, or in a situation where he or she cannot speak to make contact with the sheriff.

Subscribers can also contact the Cole County Sheriff's Department by sending a text message to 74574. The first word in the message needs to be "sheriff" and the sender will receive immediate confirmation.