Las Animas County moves to RAVE/Smart911 for emergency alerts

Las Animas County residents who want wildfire, flood and road-closure warnings should sign up for RAVE/Smart911 now, because some CodeRED phone numbers did not transfer when Trinidad Communications Center switched systems.

The countywide alert platform now sends emergency information by phone, email and text, and officials say people should not assume an old CodeRED record will still reach them. The city said it made an effort to move phone numbers over, but some households may have been left out unless they register again.

That matters in a county where a missed message can affect whether a family leaves early, shelters in place or reroutes travel. The system is used for major emergencies such as fires, floods and police incidents, and it can also send targeted notices for a water main break or utility outage affecting only a small area. Smart911’s Las Animas County registration page also says alerts can cover severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods.

The Trinidad Communications Center handles all 911 and non-emergency calls in Las Animas County, dispatching more than 22,000 calls for service to 16 different agencies. It operates with seven dispatchers and one communications manager, making a single, countywide alert platform an operational fit for a region that stretches across rural communities, scattered neighborhoods and long travel corridors.

Las Animas County’s Office of Emergency Management describes itself as the county’s center for all-hazard emergency preparation, prevention, response and recovery. The alert system fits into that broader emergency structure, especially when fast notification is needed during severe weather, road closures, utility failures or evacuations.

The change also reflects lessons from past wildfire danger in the area. During the Titan Fire, Trinidad officials urged residents to register with the Las Animas County emergency notification system, underscoring how quickly those alerts can become the difference between orderly evacuation and confusion.

The switch from CodeRED to RAVE/Smart911 took place last fall, and the practical message has not changed since then: residents who relied on the older system should re-register rather than wait and hope their contact information carried over. Trinidad’s Fire Department says the system is free, and the Trinidad Carnegie Public Library says staff can help residents sign up, including people who need help with utility outage or water main break alerts. The library is at 200 East 1st Street in Trinidad.

For a county where storms, fires and road problems can cut across wide distances in minutes, the alert system is now one of the main lines of public warning.