The alert system, called CodeRED, is used to alert users of emergency situations directly from local law enforcement.
“Not everyone is always going to be in front of a television,” said Washington Twp. Fire Department Public Education Specialist Scott Henry. “Not everyone is going to be on the computer, but hopefully, if they have a cell phone in their pocket or a phone at home, we’ll be able to reach them.”
The fire department has already had to use CodeRED multiple times this year, Henry said.
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“We just had a tornado here/ You’re going to have emergency alerts such as that,” he said. “We a couple times this year had water problems with the county...you’re going to see those kinds of messages.”
If you have a landline, you’re automatically enrolled to receive the phone calls.
But, according to Henry, that’s only about 30 percent of households.
For local businesses and cell phone users, you have to register your number online.
Jeff Bohlman just started using CodeRED after the Memorial Day tornado outbreak.
“We were watching Netflix, we we weren’t on a local station.”
Washington Twp. is just one of the 13 local municipalities that use CodeRED.
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Officials stress that users are only notified of emergencies that are impacting a majority of the area where you live.
For more information on signing up, visit CodeRED's website here.