Dec. 23, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. — Residents receiving emergency alerts from Vernon County will now see a different number on their caller ID as officials continue to refine the county’s mass notification system.
The Vernon County Office of Emergency Management announced Dec. 23, 2025, that the system has been updated to originate calls from 608-637-5399. Emergency Management officials emphasized that calls from this number are legitimate and contain critical information regarding severe weather, road closures, or other urgent incidents.
This adjustment marks the latest calibration to the Everbridge system, which officially went live on July 3, 2025. During the initial rollout, notifications were set to come from the direct office line of Emergency Management Director Brandon Larson so residents could call back and leave a message if necessary.
A Strategic Shift in Public Safety
As we reporter earlier this year, the county transitioned to Everbridge last summer to replace the Nixle platform, aiming to close significant communication gaps inherent in the old system.
Under the previous Nixle system, only about 3,300 subscribers were enrolled to receive alerts. The switch to Everbridge allowed the county to utilize a feature called “Resident Connect,” which automatically imports publicly available landline and mobile phone numbers.
This “opt-out” model rather than “opt-in” model instantly expanded the department’s reach to approximately 10,000 cell phone numbers and 17,000 landlines.
“We wanted more enhanced capabilities with notifying residents and those who move through the area,” Larson said regarding the transition.
Beyond a wider reach, the new system offers superior targeting capabilities. While the previous system often relied on broad radiuses, Everbridge allows emergency managers to use “geofencing” to target specific areas down to a single city block. This precision ensures that alerts are relevant to the recipients, preventing “message fatigue” where residents might ignore warnings that do not apply to them.
How the System Works
The system is designed to reach residents through multiple channels simultaneously, including voice calls, text messages, emails, and the Everbridge mobile app.
To ensure residents recognize the alerts as official communication rather than spam, text messages are tagged with “Vernon County Emergency Alerts”. While the system utilizes public data to reach most residents, those living outside the county or those who wish to add specific contact methods can register manually through the county’s member portal.
Residents who do not wish to receive these emergency notifications retain the right to opt out of the service.
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