Residents can sign up for CodeRED to get emergency notification calls

If being forewarned is forearmed,then local residents may want to make use of the county’s latest program.

The Alexander County Offices of Emergency Management and Public Health have contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution. (Think of it as a space-age phone tree.) The Code RED System provides Alexander Count officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire County.

Russell Greene, Alexander County Emergency Services Director, cautioned that such systems are only as good as the telephone number database supporting them.

“If your phone numbers are not in the database, you will not be called,” he stated.

One of the reasons the CodeRED system was selected is it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly into the system’s database, this is an extremely important feature.

“No one should assume his or her phone number is automatically included,” Greene said, urging all individuals and businesses to log onto the official Alexander County website, www.alexandercountync.gov, and follow the link to the“CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment”page. Those without Internet access may call Alexander County Emergency Services at 828-632-9336 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. to supply their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, street address (that is the physical address, not a P.O. Box), city, state, Zip Code, and primary phone number. Additional phone numbers can be entered as well.

All businesses should register,as well as all individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address in the past year, and those who use a cellular phone or Voice-Over-IP(VoIP) phone as their primary number.

Greene explained,“CodeRED allows geographically-based delivery,which means street addresses are required to ensure emergency notification calls are received by the proper individuals in a given situation. The system works for cell phones, too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages.”

“CodeRED gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for inputting information. The data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes.”

Questions should be directed to the Alexander County Office of Emergency Management, 828-632-9336.

[SOURCE: The Taylorsville Times]