Rankin County, MS Wins 2025 Regroup Readiness Award in the Government Category

Building Safety and Trust in a Thriving Community Through Timely Alerts

Background

Rankin County, Mississippi is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, serving approximately 160,000 residents across a diverse mix of urban and rural communities. The county includes seven incorporated cities and is surrounded by national forests, a 33,000-acre reservoir, and the Pearl River—the second-largest river in Mississippi. This geography, combined with frequent severe weather risks, makes effective emergency communication critical.

Brian Grantham, Rankin County’s Emergency Management Director, has worked in emergency management since 2014. Early in his tenure, he identified a major challenge: the county relied heavily on outdoor weather sirens—an expensive system that often reached only a small number of residents, and was particularly ineffective in rural areas. While the sirens remain in place for legacy reasons and community reassurance, Brian recognized the need for a modern solution that could reach people on the devices they use every day.

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Challenge: An Antiquated System and Alert Fatigue

The county’s geography made countywide alerts inefficient. Not every resident needed to receive every warning, yet the previous approach treated all alerts the same. As Brian noted, “If one siren went off, they all went off—even when people didn’t need to receive that alert.” He understood why some residents had just decided to tune them out.

Rankin County needed a communication system that could:

• Reach residents quickly and directly on their phones
• Target alerts by location to avoid unnecessary notifications
• Reduce alert fatigue and increase public trust
• Improve coordination across county agencies and departments
• Automate routine alerts to save staff time during emergencies

Solution: A Flexible, Modern Alerting System

Rankin County implemented Regroup’s mass notification system to modernize its emergency communication strategy while keeping residents better informed and protected.

Regroup allows residents to voluntarily sign up for alerts through the county website, QR codes on flyers, and by registering mobile phones or home landlines. When signing up, residents can choose their notification preferences, such as specific weather alerts, and can enter their address to enable location-based targeting.

This setup empowers both residents and emergency managers:

• Residents receive only the alerts they care about
• The county can segment notifications by geography, hazard type, or urgency
• Alert fatigue is reduced, increasing trust and responsiveness

Rankin County also uses Regroup’s integration with National Weather Service (NWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data to automate severe weather alerts.

“That feature really saved me,” shares Brian, “Now I don’t have to wake up at 1:30 a.m. to send alerts myself. Regroup can automate them efficiently and increase the speed of getting information out.”

The county is also IPAWS-approved, with plans to use it for high-impact situations such as hazardous materials incidents or missing persons, while continuing to rely on NWS/NOAA data for weather-related alerts.

Coordinated Response Across Agencies

Beyond public alerts, Regroup plays a central role in interagency coordination. County employees across departments—including fire, law enforcement, schools, and public works—are loaded into the system.

Examples of internal coordination include:

• Notifying employees of office closures without relying on phone trees
• Sharing real-time updates during road closures so residents can adjust their morning commutes
• Coordinating bridge and street closures during hazardous conditions

During a large-scale power outage early in the county’s partnership with Regroup, the platform proved especially valuable. The Sheriff’s Department coordinated with the power company to provide status updates, while police managed traffic light outages. Regroup ensured the county’s leadership and partner agencies had a shared, real-time understanding of the situation.

Impact: A More Connected Community

Regroup has become a critical tool for both daily operations and high-stakes emergencies.

“The biggest benefit of Regroup is efficiency,” says Brian. “What used to take several people on the phone and computer can now be handled with one person. It has made my life easier— getting the right information to the right people at the right time.”

With Regroup, Rankin County has benefitted from:

• Faster Response Times: Alerts that once required multiple staff members can now be sent by one person or automated entirely.
• Targeted Messaging: Residents receive the right information at the right time, based on location and preference, reducing alert fatigue.
• Reduced Confusion: Fewer unnecessary alerts lead to higher trust and quicker action.
• Operational Efficiency: Emergency management staff can focus on response rather than manual communication tasks.

Looking Ahead

Rankin County continues to focus on increasing resident sign-ups and encouraging mobile app adoption to further enhance geofencing and targeted alerts. As the county grows, Regroup remains a vital part of its emergency preparedness strategy—supporting the mission to protect lives, build trust, and serve the community with clarity and confidence.

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