Residents, businesses can sign up to receive critical alerts during disasters. 

Kern County Fire Department Public Information Office Sean Collins announced Wednesday that County of Kern will begin using ReadyKern, an emergency notification system to communicate with Kern County residents and businesses within minutes of a disaster or other crisis.

The system is designed to alert residents and businesses about situations that could impact their safety or welfare, such as earthquakes, severe weather, fires, floods, and other crises. Messages advising residents of life-saving emergency information can be sent within minutes to communication devices such as - cell phone, home phone, or e-mail. Kern County resident and business phone book listings will be automatically subscribed to alerts by phone. In addition, anyone may self-register to provide additional contact information. ReadyKern was made possible by a State Homeland Security grant that provided assistance for California counties to obtain mass notification capability. For further updates or to sign up for emergency alerts from ReadyKern, please visit

www.readykern.com