Latest news with #CodeRED
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Lacy Lakeview adopts ‘CodeRED' system
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – The City of Lacy Lakeview has instituted a program called 'CodeRED.' This is an emergency notification system that helps police and fire departments easily alert people in the city. In the past, alerts would be posted to the Police Department's website and Facebook, where people would have to go out of their way to find the alert. CodeRED brings the alert to the public as a mobile notification – whether enlistees choose to receive them in email, text, or call format. The system can also help connect the community with the Police and Fire Department if there is a crime in the area, warning people to be on the lookout and making it easier for those with information to communicate with law enforcement. 'It does help significantly our dispatchers,' City of Lacy Lakeview Detective Tyler Ziegler said. 'Not only do they dispatch for police and fire and EMS here in the area, but they can also be taking phone calls after hours for City Hall if they're closed, and there's not a water person who is available to answer.' CodeRED also helps dispatchers when they receive calls from people needing alert clarification – taking up time that could be spent on the phone with someone in an emergency. The link to sign up is on Lacy Lakeview PD's Facebook page, and the notification is available to anyone interested – not just Lacy Lakeview residents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Grandview/Thorpe residents, who face high wildfire risk, practice evacuating west Spokane neighborhood
May 4—An imaginary wildfire ripped through the Grandview/Thorpe Neighborhood Saturday, sending hundreds of drivers seeking safety onto residential streets and through limited exit points in the area. Residents in the forested neighborhood vulnerable to wildfires asked the city of Spokane to help them prepare for a potential fire, and they turned out in large numbers for the voluntary evacuation drill on a rainy morning the eve of Bloomsday. "This exercise was really spearheaded and pushed by the community residents, which I just love to see, and I think says a lot about our community cohesion and dedication to preparing ourselves and taking care of our neighborhoods and each other," said Sarah Nuss, city director of emergency management. Nuss, Spokane fire and police departments, Washington State Patrol and volunteers met before the drill at Grandview Park to coordinate the drill plans. First responders and volunteers then headed to one of three intersections — 14th Avenue and Lindeke Street, Grandview Avenue and Garden Springs Road, and Thorpe Road and Westwood Lane — where neighborhood residents would exit if there was a wildfire. Volunteers, or "observers" wearing bright green construction vests, documented the number of drivers at each intersection by taking a written tally or having stopped drivers scan a code with their cellphone before turning at each intersection. For example, drivers turning north from 14th onto Lindeke scanned the northbound code and drivers turning south on Lindeke scanned the southbound code. Many drivers chose not to scan the code, so observers took a written tally. Between 150 and 200 drivers came down the neighborhood hill and turned at the 14th and Lindeke intersection. A long line of cars could be seen at the intersection shortly after the Level 3 evacuation alert went out to residents at about 10 a.m. Residents registered for ALERT Spokane, the program behind the public alert and warning notifications sent to Spokane area residents, to receive evacuation alerts Saturday for the drill. Many residents received Level 1 (be ready), 2 (get set) and 3 (go now) on their phones. Nuss encouraged all Spokane County residents to sign up for ALERT Spokane at CodeRED is the mobile application that accompanies ALERT Spokane. Nuss said the data collected at the three intersections will be compiled and discussed in a meeting Monday when she and other officials review how the drill went. She said she will draft a review and improvement plan that entails what they can do better to prepare residents and improve egress routes. Nuss said the drill was important to understand strains on the egress points neighbors mentioned and how they can be improved. "There will always be bottlenecks in evacuations, but when it comes to underdeveloped or less-developed areas it's important to understand where those are and if they can truly withstand the incoming of first response apparatus while egressing the residents that live in that neighborhood," Nuss said. Mary Beth McGinley and Elizabeth Goldsmith, observers who volunteered at the 14th and Lindeke intersection, said many more residents participated in the drill than they expected. McGinley, secretary of the Grandview/Thorpe Neighborhood Council, said she was extremely proud of her neighbors, noting they were engaged despite the bad weather on a Saturday. "It wasn't a test of first responders," McGinley said. "It was a test of the system and what would happen in an evacuation, and I feel like that was done extremely well." Goldsmith, member of the Comstock Neighborhood Council, said she wanted to gather information from the drill to take back to her neighborhood, which is also vulnerable to wildfire, she said. Goldsmith said she worries about the limited number of exit points and traffic congestion if residents had to evacuate her neighborhood or the Grandview/Thorpe Neighborhood. She also expressed concern about emergency vehicles getting into the Grandview/Thorpe Neighborhood with the large volume of cars evacuating. McGinley and Melinda Johnson, a 35-year Grandview/Thorpe resident, worry that adding more housing developments, which are proposed in the neighborhood, would only cause more traffic congestion when neighbors choose one of the few streets to leave the neighborhood during times of evacuation. McGinley said she believes developers and city officials are not looking at these housing projects with a holistic approach. "I think everything is evaluated a little bit in a vacuum," she said. Johnson, who participated in the evacuation drill with her husband, said she wasn't as concerned about a possible evacuation when she moved into the neighborhood 35 years ago because fewer people lived there, meaning everyone could easily evacuate with no traffic congestion. Now, her concern level for wildfires is high as the wooded neighborhood has become more developed. "It just has gotten to be more and more of a concern as more homes go in and as the climate changes," she said. Johnson said she was impressed with first responders and the American Red Cross, which had a booth about wildfire preparedness at Grandview Park, in her neighborhood Saturday. "It was kind of eye-opening to, you know, get up this morning and see fire people and the police people here and feeling like, 'OK, they really are trying to figure out a way to make this safer and to support our community,'" Johnson said.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Douglas County switching to new emergency notification system
Starting May 2, Douglas county will be using a new emergency notification system. County officials said the new 'Alert Douglas' will replace their current system, called CodeRED. The new system to be used by the county is 'powered by critical communications company Rave Mobility.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] ''Alert Douglas' is an important communication tool for our community,' James Queen, Douglas County EMA Director, said. 'In an emergency, fast, reliable, and accurate information is critical. This new system has a more user-friendly interface and provides more customization options. We are encouraging citizens to sign up immediately so they can remain connected, informed, and prepared in the event of an emergency.' TRENDING STORIES: 2 innocent bystanders shot inside DeKalb County grocery store, police say Family of murdered Fulton Co. teacher shines a light on loved one's life Woman crashes into bear while driving in north Georgia The new emergency alerts in Douglas County will have an enhanced notification system to give real-time alerts and critical updates during severe weather, public safety issues and other emergencies. To use the service, residents can access it by phone, text or email notifications. Users can register for 'Alert Douglas' online here, or by downloading the SMART911 app on their phones. County officials said CodeRED subscribers will not have their subscriptions transfer over and they must register for the new system to get notifications from 'Alert Douglas.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Covington residents worry over upcoming severe weather
COVINGTON, Tenn. — A Tipton County family is preparing for the potential of severe weather after two years of a tornado hit the community. On March 31, 2023, disaster and destruction hit Tipton County, an EF-3 tornado injured dozens and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. 'My son was just a year and a half at the time and we were stuck in our bathroom. He was in the tub with the mattress over him and he had just learned to say, 'Uh oh,' and kept saying that during the tornado,' said Kathryn Vaughn. City of Covington impassable due to tornado damage Vaughn's Covington home was not damaged in the tornado; however, the powerful winds blew down all the community's cell towers. She and her family evacuated their home and drove about an hour away to a hotel in Memphis. Vaughn tells me she doesn't want to relive a natural disaster, but she has a plan. 'As a mom and a resident of Covington that lived through the last tornado, this time around when we have severe weather, we like to be prepared,' said Vaughn. 'My husband have gathered about 72 hours worth of supplies.' Tipton County leaders are encouraging residents to take precautions and stay weather aware with its 'CodeRED' app. Covington's Mayor says the town of Atoka is the only place that offers safe storm spaces to the public. The safe room at Atoka Elementary is only open during a tornado warning, while the safe room at Atoka Town Hall is open for tornado watches. Download the WREG weather app for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How CodeRED can help you prepare when an emergency or storm strikes
** The video above was shown during a previous broadcast of Living Dayton in February ** DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — In Ohio, severe weather including tornadoes can happen any time of the year, even right here in the Miami Valley. Montgomery County has a program called 'CodeRED,' which is aimed at helping people be aware of the conditions that are underway or coming soon to their location. The system is intended to alert the public of an important event or crucial information. Ohio announces Statewide Tornado Drill, Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management was established around the time of World War II and has been working to keep the community safe ever since. Jeff Jordan is the director of Montgomery County's Office of Emergency Management and says even before severe weather strikes, the office is working to help people be prepared in case of an event, like a tornado. 'During an actual severe weather event, we work with the National Weather Service as part of the National Weather Service chat, getting information and providing information to them,' Jordan said. According to Montgomery County, the software application can provide information on active shooters, boil advisories, evacuations, resources, severe weather, shelter in place and water main breaks for individuals. Severe weather contest encourages students to get creative Individuals looking to be a part of the program have to sign up for CodeRED. Once signed up, users will be able to get information via cell phone, email, landline, or simply a text message. People that are signed up and actually have the app will have direct access to alerts and information no matter if you're in Dayton or vacationing in Daytona Beach, Fla. Jordan says the geographical ping on your device will help determine the information you need to know to help keep you safe in the area you are in. 'It is going to the phones in the geographic area, so if you have your phone and wherever you are in that area, you will get that alert.' What to do after severe weather hits To sign up for the program to receive alerts, click here. Those looking to get up-to-date information on the go, no matter where they may be within the United States, you can download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you are interested in what the organization does and would like to volunteer, you can email mcoem@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
