The DeWitt County Office of Emergency Management is encouraging residents to sign up — or reregister — for the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR), a free, confidential program provided by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Everbridge Emergency Alert System.
Separate registration is required for each system by residents. The systems work together to provide critical assistance to residents.
STEAR requires residents to register every year. Even if you have signed up in the past, your information must be updated annually to remain active. This ensures phone numbers, addresses, medical needs, emergency contacts, and transportation needs are current when they are needed most.
STEAR is designed to help local emergency responders identify individuals who may need extra assistance during emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, extreme heat, wildfires, power outages, or evacuations. This includes residents with medical needs, disabilities, mobility challenges, those who do not have reliable transportation, or anyone who may have difficulty evacuating or reaching safety on their own.
In DeWitt County, this information is used alongside the County’s Everbridge Mass Notification System, which delivers emergency alerts by phone call, text message, email, and mobile app. Everbridge allows the Office of Emergency Management to send fast, targeted warnings, evacuation notices, shelter information, and lifesafety messages directly to the public. When STEAR and Everbridge are used together, emergency officials can identify who needs assistance and communicate critical instructions in real time.
“For emergency management, information and communication save lives,” said DeWitt County Office of Emergency Management Director Billy Jordan. “STEAR helps us understand who may need help, including transportation needs, and Everbridge allows us to reach them quickly when it matters most.”
All information in the STEAR system is confidential and is used only by emergency management and response agencies during disasters or major emergencies.
Register or update your STEAR profile: https://stear.dps. texas.gov Sign up for DeWitt County Everbridge emergency alerts: https://member. everbridge. net/4530030 85613303 Residents who need help registering for STEAR or Everbridge may contact:
DeWitt County Office of Emergency Management Phone: 361-275-0878Email: [email protected] By taking just a few minutes each year to update STEAR information and stay connected through Everbridge, residents are helping DeWitt County’s first responders, emergency managers, and support agencies better protect the entire community.
