Iowa’s emergency notification system is implementing a new platform to expand access to emergency notifications, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management announced this week. Alert Iowa will be implementing the Rave Alert platform by Rave Mobile Safety, a critical communication and collaboration platform, which will expand sign-up and notification access through a web portal, via text message, or by downloading the Smart911 App. The state will be among 260 new deployments by Rave Alert in the first months of 2021. Rave Alert offers expanded preferred language options for users and gives local officials the option to send emergency messages through social media. In Iowa, 90 counties are using the Alert Iowa platform; Polk County, which uses its own CodeRED system, is not signed up to participate. The Rave Alert platform will be fully functional for Alert Iowa by July, the state said in an announcement.