Sandoval County residents can now be alerted to emergency situations by way of text message and email.
The county has revamped its CodeRED emergency notification system that uses reverse-911 technology to tell people about emergencies that can range from roadway fuel spills to gas leak evacuations, bear sightings, or any other public safety issue deemed serious. The alerts not only tell recipients about the emergency, but also include precautions or suggestions that help residents.
The system delivered its first alert in Rio Rancho, in September 2007, about a black bear sighting in the North Hills neighborhood. At the time, the alert was limited to landline telephones and it used a recorded voice message to provide information about what was taking place.
Now, the CodeRED can alert the public by sending text messages to cell phones or by sending emails, Monte Roberts, the communication manager for Sandoval County Regional Dispatch, said Thursday. Alerts can be also sent via a telecommunications device for the deaf, or TDD.
The reverse-911 system works this way: A shift supervisor or other personnel authorized to issue a reverse-911 alert will log on to the CodeRED network and select the geographical area that is affected. The network will then contact every residential landline, and those who have signed up within that selected grid, and notify them about the emergency, Roberts told the Journal previously.
The alerts go out within seconds of being entered into the network, he said.
Wednesday morning, the dispatch center will be testing the revamped CodeRED system by sending simulated alerts to residents and businesses in Sandoval County who are signed up for the notifications.
It is the first time Sandoval County dispatch has done a county-wide notification, Roberts said Thursday.
“We get to test it before we really need it,” he said.
Businesses, residents with unlisted phone numbers, those who have recently changed their phone numbers, residents who use cellular phones exclusively and those who have VoIP phones that use an Internet connection are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED, a Sandoval County Regional Dispatch news release states.
Those interested in signing up for CodeRED should do so before Wednesday to receive the simulated alert and determine whether their account is working, Roberts said.
Signing up is free and can be done by visiting the Sandoval County website at www.sandovalcounty.com. Follow the CodeRed link at the bottom of the page. Those without Internet access may call (505) 404-5810 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to sign up.
— This article appeared on page 911 of the Albuquerque Journal
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