FAQ - Frequent Questions

What is NotifyJoCo?
NotifyJoCo is a state-of-the-art emergency notification system implemented by Johnson County, WaterOne and partner cities to alert residents about emergencies and other important community news. NotifyJoCo allows local officials to provide essential, time-sensitive information quickly to a designated population.

How can I sign up to receive notifications?
Sign up online by clicking the Register Now button available on any page of this website. If you need assistance with registration, please call 913-826-5555.

How does NotifyJoCo work?
Authorized officials create a voice, email or text message that is then delivered quickly to individuals in the notification system.

What types of messages will be sent using NotifyJoCo?
The primary use of the system will be to disseminate messages pertaining to the health, safety or welfare of a community that is being affected by a perceived, emerging or imminent emergency event. A participating entity (city, county or utility) may also choose to use the service to disseminate non-emergency community alerts deemed to be of interest to its citizens, assuming the citizen has requested to be notified for that category of non-emergency alert.

Is my contact information included in the NotifyJoCo database?
NotifyJoCo will initially contain publicly available telephone contact information. To ensure that your contact information is up-to-date and accurate, log in and register your contact preferences.

It is highly recommended that you provide more than one contact preference, such as multiple phone numbers or email addresses. During an emergency, if NotifyJoCo cannot reach you at your primary contact preference, it will roll forward to contact you at another number or email account provided until you confirm you've received the message.

Will my contact information be shared with others?
No, the information that you provide will be used for notification purposes only. We will not give or sell your telephone numbers or email addresses to any vendor or other organization. 

What if I don’t have a landline, can the NotifyJoCo system call my cell phone?
Yes, those who have registered their cell phone numbers in the NotifyJoCo system can receive messages on their cell phone, depending on the priority you assign to your cell phone. Since there are many instances when the public may not be at home to receive an emergency message phone call, public safety officials recommend that all residents with a cell phone add their number to the NotifyJoCo database.

Does NotifyJoCo replace other emergency notification systems?
NotifyJoCo will be the only emergency notification system used by some partners (i.e. WaterOne). During an emergency, local media will still broadcast emergency information, but NotifyJoCo is the only way to receive information directly from local officials.

If I provide more than one phone number or email account, how will you contact me?
Depending on the nature of the emergency, NotifyJoCo will contact you by the preference you set when you register for NotifyJoCo. If you cannot be reached using your first priority contact preference, NotifyJoCo will roll forward to try contacting you at your second priority contact preference. Similarly, if you subscribe to any non-emergency alerts, they will follow the same prioritized preference sequence. 

Will the NotifyJoCo system call numbers outside of Johnson County’s area codes?
Yes. The area code does not impact whether or not a call is made.

Will NotifyJoCo work if I have a call screening system on my phone?
In many cases, the NotifyJoCo system has been found to work with these devices. However, some may require pre-programming to allow the NotifyJoCo telephone number to pass through. 

How does the NotifyJoCo system respond to busy signals or no-answer situations?
For busy signals, call waiting signals or when there is not an answer, the call will be repeated several times in an attempt to reach you. If the phone is answered by a message recorder, the message will be left on the answering device. If the call does not successfully go through after several attempts, the system will attempt to contact you using your second priority contact method, and so on.

If I’m listening to a message live, is there a way to repeat it?
Yes, at the end of the message, simply press the star (*) key on your telephone to have it repeated in its entirety.

Which cities are participating in the NotifyJoCo system?
NotifyJoCo is brought to you by a partnership among the county, WaterOne, and participating cities. Check out the Partners page to see if your city is participating. NOTE: Johnson County residents will automatically receive county-wide emergency alerts. WaterOne customers will automatically receive emergency alerts. If the location you desire to receive alerts about is located within a non-participating city, city-wide alerts will not be available through NotifyJoCo for this jurisdiction.

Why is my city not participating in the NotifyJoCo mass notification system?
While we cannot speak on behalf of your city officials, there are various reasons they may have chosen to participate in NotifyJoCo at this time. All cities in Johnson County are welcome to become a full partner in this unprecedented collaboration of local governments. If you're interested in having your city of residence participate, contact your city officials today.

NOTE: All residents of Johnson County will receive county-wide emergency alerts. All WaterOne customers will receive emergency alerts. You do not have to reside in a participating city (or Johnson County) to sign up to receive notifications from cities participating in NotifyJoCo.

How do I change my contact information?
To change or delete the information you registered into NotifyJoCo, sign in to your NotifyJoCo account and edit your current entries with the corrected information.

If I don't reside in a participating city, can I still get NotifyJoCo alerts?
Yes. All Johnson County citizens will receive county-wide emergency alerts. All WaterOne customers will receive emergency alerts. However, if you live in a city that is not yet participating in NotifyJoCo, you will not receive local city-wide alerts or non-emergency alerts from NotifyJoCo. Customize your contact information and preferences to ensure WaterOne and/or the County can reach you during an emergency. Check to see if your city offers a similar notification service or encourage them to become a participating partner in NotifyJoCo.

If I don't register for NotifyJoCo, will I still be contacted during an emergency?
Keeping you safe and informed during emergencies is our priority. If you do not register for NotifyJoCo, local officials will still attempt to contact you through NotifyJoCo using publicly available contact information when an emergency affects your area. The accuracy of this publicly available data cannot be guaranteed which is why it's so important that you register (or "sign-up") for NotifyJoCo by providing your contact information and customizing your contact preferences. Your personal data is safe and secure. Public officials will only utilize it for the purposes described.

During an emergency, should I still call 911 or contact NotifyJoCo?
If this is an emergency, immediately contact 911. NotifyJoCo is a "push" notification service. It pushes emergency alerts to you. NotifyJoCo does not receive requests for emergency assistance or provide emergency services. 

During emergencies, will information be posted here at NotifyJoCo.org?
No, this site is a sign-up portal for registering for NotifyJoCo only. Emergency information will be sent to you directly based on your personal contact preferences.

Whom do I contact if I have more questions?
If you have additional NotifyJoCo questions, please contact us at 913-826-5555.

How do I receive water outage alerts?
All residents within the WaterOne service area are automatically enrolled for alerts as soon as your profile is created. There is no need for an additional selection to be made.