Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Director Shank Phelps said the county will participate in a test call for residents utilizing CodeRED, a national emergency notification service, in the coming weeks.
A date has not yet been set for the test, Phelps said, but users will receive alerts on cell phones, email addresses and social media sites synchronized with the service when it is activated.
The county went with Emergency Communications Network’s CodeRED system in September after supervisors voted to split the yearly cost – about $8,000 – with Starkville, while also collecting a small fee from Maben and Sturgis.
CodeRED allows users to receive area-specific warnings and alerts, thereby directing information to residents with precision. Alerts from the National Weather Service are issued automatically, but county officials can send out local notices on a number of conditions, including road construction and boil water notices.
Phelps said CodeRED allows OCEMA to target younger users of technology – college students, specifically – as older residents on average take in information via radio and television reports.
“People don’t realize it, but we have an extra 18,000-20,000 students. When they’re piled up in these apartments that are five stories high (during severe weather incidents), most everyone has a phone on them these days,” he said. “Even if they’re not from around here, if they sign up and use their local address, (alerts and warnings) will get to their phones,” he said. “It’s a very good system, but people have to realize you have to sign up for it. If they’re not able, they’re welcome to call our office. We’ll help in any way we can. As long as we get notifications out, that’s what we want.”
Those wishing to join the opt-in service can do so by visiting OktibbehaCountyMS.org and clicking the CodeRED logo. From there, smartphone users will download an app and enter contact information.
For more information on the service or additional help signing up, call OCEMA between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 662-338-1076.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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