Florence, AZ – The Town of Florence is taking steps to strengthen how local emergency information reaches our residents. This December, we will be rolling out two key initiatives: rebranding our local emergency alert system as the Florence Alert Network (FAN) and launching a text message campaign to help residents confirm or adjust their emergency alert preferences. These efforts reflect Florence’s commitment to clear communication and ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents.

Florence has a long-standing partnership with Pinal County to provide timely emergency alerts to our residents. Currently, the county provides emergency notifications through the Genasys Alerts system, which serves communities across Pinal County. Through Genasys, county residents can sign up for the Pinal Emergency Notification System (PENS) to receive regional alerts regarding severe weather, wildfires, and other critical situations where life or property may be threatened.

In addition to PENS, Florence uses the Genasys system to distribute town-specific alerts regarding traffic accidents, road closures, water outages, or critical public safety alerts. Previously, Florence’s alert system was referred to as Genasys or the Florence PENS system, but this similarity in naming caused some confusion with the county’s alert system. To provide clarity, Florence is rebranding its system as the Florence Alert Network (FAN) to help residents easily distinguish the two systems and ensure they are registered to receive the most relevant updates.

Text Message Campaign Details

In conjunction with this rebranding, the town is launching a text message campaign to give residents a convenient way to update their emergency alert preferences. This campaign will be sent to Florence-area residents who are only registered with PENS and offer them a simple way to opt into the Florence Alert Network (FAN) as well.

Beginning on December 11, PENS members in the Florence area will receive the following text message with two options to verify or update their alert preferences:

Hello, and thank you for being a member of the Pinal Emergency Notification System (PENS)! We’ve noticed that some PENS members in the Florence area may only be receiving Pinal County alerts and not Town of Florence alerts. To ensure you’re receiving the correct notifications, please respond to verify or update your preferences:  

Reply “1” to remain registered for PENS and receive county alerts only.

Reply “2” to be added to the Florence Alert Network (FAN) and receive town alerts as well as county alerts.

For assistance, please contact Jeff Graves at jeff.graves@florenceaz.gov. Thank you!  

Residents who reply “2” will be automatically enrolled in FAN by December 20, ensuring they remain informed about emergencies directly impacting Florence residents.

Stay Connected and Informed

To ensure you’re receiving the emergency alerts most relevant to you, we encourage all residents to sign up or log in to their PENS or FAN account(s) and review their alert preferences. Using the portals below, you can: 1) Register to receive regional (PENS) or local (FAN) alerts; 2) Update or verify your address to ensure you receive localized alerts for specific areas; and 3) Adjust how you receive alerts—whether by phone call, text message, or email—to suit your preferences.

It’s also important to note that emergency alerts are distributed 24/7. If you wish to receive alerts via phone call or text message, we recommend silencing your phone or enabling “Do Not Disturb” during sleeping hours to avoid disruptions.

Looking Ahead: FAN Registration & Help Events

To further support residents, the town is planning to host events early next year to help residents register for FAN or adjust their emergency alert preferences. Stay tuned for more details!

For questions or assistance regarding these upcoming changes and improvements, please contact Jeff Graves at jeff.graves@florenceaz.gov or (520) 868-7541.