DODGEVILLE — Iowa County is in the process of instituting the Nixle text message and email alert system.

Once signed up, registered users can receive alerts, advisories and community messages sent by Iowa County Emergency Management sent by text message or email for free. To sign up, go to www.nixle.com.

Examples of messages include weather bulletins, traffic updates and road conditions. Residents also can sign up for Nixle Pro, a web-based mass notification system that allows emergency management to send out “reverse 911” calls to land-line phones and cellphones.

About 1,500 county residents have signed up for the system.