RIFLE, Colo. (KKCO) - Authorities say when an incident like the rock slide on Interstate 70 happens, getting information quickly to the public is vital. The Garfield County Sheriff's Office says a new technology helped them alert more than 1,500 county residents that the Interstate was shut down long before the morning news Monday.

In an age where a small phone can do just about as much as a computer, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office says keeping up with technology is more important than ever in their mission to keep the public safe.

"We're finding today that many people don't have land lines, they don't have phones that are hard wired in their homes," says Tanny McGinnis, spokesperson for the Garfield County Sheriff's Office. "So we're dealing with instant messaging, we're dealing with texting, email and cell phones."

Officials say it's an issue that's created problems in the past, when disaster struck and authorities needed to communicate with residents immediately, their only option was to put out an alert via land line. But now, "What we'll do is notify people via email, text, land line, cell phone, and instant messaging," says McGinnis.

It's all made possible by a new system called Everbridge, which gives residents the option to receive alerts through multiple outlets. Garfield County officials say when they first launched the system last year, it was only used during emergency situations. But just last week, they upgraded it to include things like air quality alerts and something that came in very handy Monday, major road closures.

"If we can get that information out, we're less likely to have people get on the Interstate and be in that area," says McGinnis.

Mesa County also uses the Everbridge system and though it's relatively new, officials say it's been effective the few times they have used it.

"We're still in some of the phases of developing policies and procedures of how we're going to use it," says Kate Porras, spokesperson for the Grand Junction Police Department. "But it helps us do our jobs better and it can help people stay safe."

That's why officials hope the public will take advantage of it.

"It's definitely going to be a safety and education piece for your family," says McGinnis. "Ultimately you really want to have it in your home."

Residents who want to receive alerts via text message, email, or cell phone can sign up for the free service online by clicking on one of the links below under 'Related Links'.

Officials say all land lines are already registered to receive emergency alerts.