Commissioners Court agreed Sept. 9 to partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to better deliver alerts during disasters.

FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, or IPAWS, allows governmental entities to issue warnings before and during crises, according to county documents.

IPAWS can deliver messages through several systems, including text messages, mobile and landline phones.

The county had to approve a memorandum of agreement before it could use the IPAWS system. The court approved the item as part of its consent agenda.