Following an extensive and thorough evaluation and review of alerting systems, the Charlottesville-UVa-Albemarle County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) has implemented the CodeRED system, a high-speed emergency notification service provided by Emergency Communications Network, based in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Public safety officials across the United States have credited CodeRED notifications for saving lives and many successful events including locating missing children, apprehending wanted criminals and issuing timely evacuations. Learn how the CodeRED Emergency Notification system works.
The CodeRED system will serve as the backbone of the Charlottesville/Albemarle County emergency communications outreach to community members. The platform will allow the City and County to communicate with residents by sending telephone calls, text messages, emails, social media and CodeRED Mobile Alert app messages in an effort to effectively inform residents of emergencies to protect life and property.
“CodeRED’s robust system will provide Charlottesville and Albemarle County officials with a reliable, easy-to-use interface to quickly disseminate critical information to our residents during emergencies. We are very eager to use this technology to enhance the reach of our emergency communications,” said Emergency Management Coordinator, Kirby Felts.
Charlottesville and Albemarle County anticipates using the system to notify residents in specific geographic locations of all-hazard incidents, such as fires, drinking water emergencies, utility hazards, and missing children alerts. The ECC has also contracted the CodeRED Weather Warning system, an automated weather warning technology that delivers phone calls, text messages, and emails to registered residents and businesses within the direct path of severe weather. The CodeRED Weather Warning system is an opt-in service that automatically notifies those registered of tornado, flash flood, and severe thunderstorm warnings just minutes after an alert is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). Learn how the CodeRED Weather Warning system sends notifications during severe weather events.
CodeRED has been provided an initial database of residential and business landline telephone numbers, however all residents living within the limits of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA are encouraged to visit CommunityEmergency.org and click on the CodeRED logo to enroll additional contact information including cell phone numbers, text and email addresses. No one should assume they have been automatically added to the emergency contact database.
The enrollment link will also allow residents to opt-in to receive the automated Weather Warnings. Residents and businesses are encouraged to enter both a cell phone number and email address, and designate the types of weather warnings to be received.
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