About The Roseburg Receiver

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"The Roseburg Receiver" is a community-driven platform dedicated to providing real-time emergency communications, breaking news, and scanner updates for Roseburg and Douglas County, Oregon. Established to serve as a vital link between emergency services and the public, the platform has become a trusted source of information for local residents.

The Roseburg Receiver utilizes cutting-edge technology, including voice-to-text transcription of fire dispatch, sheriff, and fire agency calls, fire tone detection, keyword tracking, and live audio streams. These features enable users to stay informed about emergencies such as fires, accidents, and weather-related events in near real-time.

In its first year, the platform gained significant traction, growing to nearly 10,000 members in its dedicated Facebook group. This group features live updates, feeds from platforms like Broadcastify and OpenMHz, and direct links to emergency communication streams. The Roseburg Receiver's goal is to empower the community with timely information, especially during critical moments, ensuring transparency and safety for all.

Over time, The Roseburg Receiver has evolved to include a broader range of content, such as public safety announcements, preparedness tips, and community news, positioning itself as an essential resource for both residents and emergency responders. The Roseburg Receiver is also notable for the daily "morning scoop", showcasing the day's news, weather, events, and other information.

At the beginning of 2024, The Roseburg Receiver also partnered with Watch Duty, a wildfire reporting service, housing it's "echo" technology locally in Roseburg allowing Watch Duty staff to hear wildfire radio traffic in real-time. This allows Watch Duty to inform Douglas County as soon as information is released by trusted sources. The owner of The Roseburg Receiver is also a volunteer Watch Duty reporter, the only Watch Duty volunteer in Douglas County.

Joseph Ziegler is a volunteer reporter for Watch Duty. Shown is a posting from the Lemolo Fire (Summer of 2024)

In the upcoming months, The Roseburg Receiver plans to be a media company for the Roseburg and surrounding area, informing the community about large topics and having live streams for the community to watch. The Roseburg Receiver is now a Rosebytes company, the parent company owned by Joseph Ziegler.

Joseph Ziegler

Joseph Ziegler is the visionary behind The Roseburg Receiver and a passionate advocate for improving emergency communication and public awareness. A proud native of Roseburg, Oregon, Joseph has dedicated his life to bridging the gap between emergency services and the community he calls home. As a ham radio enthusiast, he began exploring radio technology at the age of 11 and earned his ham radio license in 2013. Driven by his fascination with radio communications, he aspired to expand its potential beyond personal use, creating something that could benefit his local community and possibly extend its impact even further.

Joseph’s career in technology began at Google, where he started in IT and developed a strong foundation in technical systems and problem-solving. His career trajectory advanced significantly during his nearly 10 years at Uber, where he worked as a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE). At Uber, Joseph focused on building and maintaining highly reliable and scalable systems, ensuring the infrastructure supported millions of users worldwide. His expertise in system design and architecture became a cornerstone of his work. For three of those years, Joseph worked remotely after moving back to Roseburg, demonstrating his ability to bring the same level of excellence to a global platform while living in his hometown.

In December 2024, Joseph transitioned to a leadership role as a Lead Site Reliability Engineer at Sporttrade, where he continues to apply his deep expertise in system architecture and reliability. Throughout his career, Joseph has built a reputation as a skilled engineer with a commitment to solving complex technical challenges and ensuring operational stability.

When Joseph returned to Roseburg, he recognized an opportunity to use his technical expertise to make a difference in his community. With limited resources available for emergency communications, he envisioned a platform that could empower residents with timely and accurate information. This vision led to the creation of The Roseburg Receiver, a 100% member-driven platform providing real-time updates, breaking news, and emergency alerts for Douglas County.

The Roseburg Receiver stands out for its innovative use of voice-to-text transcription, fire tone detection, keyword tracking, and live-streaming capabilities. The community also works with agencies such as Watch Duty, where Joseph volunteers as a wildfire reporter. These tools make critical emergency information accessible to residents, fostering preparedness and transparency. What began as an idea to improve local awareness has grown into a trusted community resource.

Beyond his technical expertise, Joseph is deeply committed to fostering a sense of unity and safety within his community. Known for his ability to bring people together during crises, he actively supports local causes and emergency services, helping to strengthen the bonds within Douglas County.

Joseph Ziegler’s career—from his early days at Google to his impactful work at Uber and Sporttrade, and his transformative efforts with The Roseburg Receiver—reflects his dedication to innovation, leadership, and community service. His vision continues to inspire others to take an active role in ensuring the safety, strength, and well-being of their communities.

Contact The Roseburg Receiver

If you need to contact us, please let us know how we can help. Click the link or email info@roseburgscanner.com

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Comments policy

At The Roseburg Receiver, community dialogue and engagement are core to our mission. We believe in the robust exchange of diverse ideas and that there's much to learn from reader input. Comments are limited to paying members.

We ask you to follow a few basic rules and reserve the right to delete comments that violate this policy.

  • No hate speech, doxxing or threats
  • Keep it civil — especially when you disagree
  • Jerky behavior toward other commenters will be removed
  • Don't be repetitive or flood the feed
  • Try to add something new to the conversation or move it forward
  • Folks who repeatedly flout the rules and ignore TBS feedback may be banned
  • Have questions about this policy or comment removal? Email us. We'll do our best to explain our choices when the inquiry is reasonable.

Corrections policy

The Roseburg Receiver places a premium on accuracy and objectivity in our reporting. If you see something that needs to be corrected, whether it's a typo, a mistake or an outright error, email us for a prompt review. We want to hear from you. Corrections will be noted at the foot of articles that require a fix.

If you have concerns about information in a story and believe something should be removed due to developments or extenuating circumstances, email The Roseburg Receiver.

The Roseburg Receiver will never sell your personal information. Aside from the automated cookies needed to run our site, your information will never be shared.