VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Emergency managers in Indian River County thought the best way to get their message out was by e-mail, but AOL disagrees.

The Internet service provider is treating the emergency coordinator's address as a source of spam.

The idea was to offer quick alerts about hurricanes, tornados and other weather emergencies, and about 4,200 subscribers signed up for the service.

"In the 16 years I've been in this office, it is the No. 1 thing that best informs the public," said Nathan McCollum, the county's emergency management coordinator.

The problem started last year with the frequent alerts during the unusually busy hurricane season.

"Because we send out mail in large numbers, it becomes a pattern for spam senders," said Basil Dancy, a county computer software engineer.

The county is working with AOL to try to let the e-mails through.

In the meantime, people who want the computerized weather bulletins are being told to put the county's e-mail account in their address book to let their computers accept the e-mail.

County officials also are sending e-mails to AOL customers using a temporary e-mail account.

"We know it's going out but, in the heat of the moment, it's not a reliable system," said McCollum.