NEW CodeRED Emergency Notification System
The Town of Cheshire is implementing CodeRED, a town-wide telephone emergency notification system. This system gives town and school officials the ability to deliver emergency telephone notification or information messages to targeted areas or the entire town, at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.
While the CodeRED initial database includes individual and business numbers from the local phone book, no one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included. Jack Casner, Cheshire's Emergency Management Director, urges all individual and businesses to add their numbers to the system, especially individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address within the last year, and who use a cellular phone as their primary contact phone. Duplicate entries will be deleted, so registration of a number already in the database will not result in multiple calls to that number.
"If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called when the system is activated," Casner said. “The ability to register numbers is an extremely important feature, since it allows for a greatly expanded universe of residents who can be reached. CodeRED gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for doing so. The information will only be used for emergency notification purposes.”
To ensure no one is omitted, Casner urges all individuals and businesses to log onto the Town of Cheshire's website at www.cheshirect.org and follow the link to the "CodeRED Residential and Business Data Collection" page. Those without Internet access may visit the Cheshire Public Library to access the Internet, or may send a written request with the required information to Cheshire Fire Department, 250 Maple Avenue, Cheshire, CT 06410. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code, primary phone number, and additional phone numbers (optional).
Casner explained that the "CodeRED system is a geographical based notification system, which means street addresses are needed to select which phone numbers will receive emergency notification calls in any given situation. The system works fine for cell phones too, but we have to have a street address.” Therefore, individuals or businesses that have recently moved or relocated but kept the same phone number will need to update their address in the database, through the same process as the initial registration.
Questions should be directed to the Cheshire Fire Department at (203)-272-1828 or sent via email to jcasner@cheshirect.org.
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Calls sent through the CodeRED system will show up as 866-419-5000 on Caller ID. This number can be called back for a repeat of the message.
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