Gloucester unveils new notification system

The county of Gloucester is implementing the CodeRED high-speed notification system  as part of its emergency communications network.

CodeRED will give county officials the ability to quickly deliver emergency messages to the county as a whole or to targeted areas.

Garrey Curry, interim emergency management coordinator, urges residents to make sure that their contact information is correct and in the database. If information is not accurate, there is a risk of residents not receiving emergency information. The CodeRED system allows individuals and businesses to enter their phone numbers into the database, according to a press release.

Residents and businesses can enter their phone numbers into the system by visiting gloucesterva.info and clicking "CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment" or by calling the Emergency Management Office at 757-693-1390 during working hours. To register, residents will need to provide their first and last name, street address (no P.O. boxes), city, state, ZIP code and primary phone number.

"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," Curry said in the release. "The system works for cellphones too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages."

The county encourages all businesses and individuals to enroll. The data collected through enrollment will only be used for emergency notification, according to the release.

Gloucester County has also contracted to use CodeRED Weather Warning Service. This is an opt-in only service to receive warnings about the paths of severe storms. The service uses the National Weather Service's storm-based warnings. Individuals will be able to choose what type of warnings they receive.

The county is also preparing CodeRED Mobile Alert, an app for mobile phone users. It will be available for free. The app comes with a 30-day trial of CodeRED Weather Warning. The app is available at ecnetwork.com/mobile/getitnow.html.

For more information and the services, contact Gloucester County Emergency Services at 804-693-1390 or at its office, 6504 Main St., Gloucester.

Filed under: GOVERNMENT