By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The Houston County Board reviewed and approved the emergency notification system policy during the Feb. 19 meeting. The board recently contracted with Emergency Communications Network, Inc., of Ormond Beach, Florida, for its “CodeRED” high-speed telephone emergency notification services. The CodeRED system gives county officials the ability to deliver pre-recorded emergency telephone notification/information messages to targeted areas or the entire county at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.
The system will be used to warn county residents of a myriad of issues, including, but not limited to:
•Natural disasters: severe weather, fires, floods, and water safety issues;
•Search and rescue: missing children, elderly, or disabled persons, evacuation notifications and routes, and emergency shelter locations;
•Crime alerts: prisoner escapes, neighborhood crime watch support, sexual predator alert, hostage situations;
•Public health: viral outbreaks, drinking water contamination, mass dispersing locations, public health notifications;
•Man-made disasters: terrorism threats, bomb threats, nuclear hazards, bio-terrorism treats, chemical spills, gas leaks, HAZMAT emergencies;
•Pulic works/highways: street/highway closings, snow emergencies, utility outages, public notifications.
Houston County Emergency Management Director Kurt Kuhlers, cautioned that such systems are only as good as the telephone database supporting them.
“If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called,” Kuhlers explained. The CodeRED system not only offers faster calling rates and improved message delivery, it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly to the system’s telephone database. Kuhlers emphasized that this is an extremely important feature.
To ensure no one is omitted, Kuhler urges all individuals and businesses to log onto Houston County’s web site at, www.houstoncounty.govoffice2.com, and follow the link to the “CodeRED Residential and Business Data Collection” page. Those without internet access may call the Houston County Emergency Management Office (507-725-5834), Monday through Friday, (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to give their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code, and primary phone number, additional phone numbers (optional).
No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included, Kuhlers said. All businesses should register, as well as all 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 home phone.
Kuhlers 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.” People who have recently moved but kept the same listed or unlisted phone number also need to change their address in the database.
Kuhlers added, “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”. Questions should be directed to the Houston County Emergency Management Office, 507-725-5834.
The determination of the CodeRED utilization will be at the direction of the sheriff, chief deputy, emergency management director, public health director or county engineer.
“We’re hoping to have the system up and running by spring,” Kuhlers told the board. “We are quite concerned what a rapid spring thaw might do with the heavy snow cover we have coupled with the fact many of the culverts and bridges have not been completely cleared of all the debris from last summers flash floods. We are having some serious concerns about spring and the potential for flooding. Keep your fingers crossed,” he added.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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