DENNIS – Dennis Police report that there were concerns expressed to the department in the aftermath of last week’s weather event, that included a tornado touching down in town, about the lack of a Code Red system notification. Because the appropriate organization, the National Weather Service, was issuing regular bulletins about the impending weather, to include a tornado alert during the early morning hours of September 2nd, no Code Red message was issued. The department would have issued a Code Red if there had been a need to alert Dennis residents of issues resulting from the weather i.e. widespread flooding and road closures, power outages, shelters being opened, but since none of that occurred the determination was made to not issue a Code Red message.
The department encourages those who have not enrolled in the Code Red system to do so. Below is background information about Code Red and instructions on how to sign up for the service.
SUBJECT: Town of Dennis-Code Red System
The Town of Dennis wants to take this opportunity to remind people of a rapid emergency notification service called CodeRED® which the Town and the Dennis Water District offer. The system will distribute emergency messages via telephone to targeted areas in Dennis or the entire town.
CodeRED® employs a one-of-a-kind Internet mapping capability for geographic targeting of calls, coupled with a high-speed telephone calling system capable of delivering customized prerecorded emergency messages directly to homes, businesses, cell phones and answering machines.
By registering you’ll be added to the emergency call list.
This service can be used in case of storms, natural disasters, fires, chemical spills, evacuations, lock downs, downed power lines, lost individuals, abductions, messages from the Dennis Water District regarding water system problems or alerts, bomb threats, or other emergencies.
Calls can be geographically targeted for localized messaging.
Dennis residents and businesses are welcome and encouraged to enter their contact information for home, business, and mobile/cell phones so they may be contacted by the system in the event of an emergency. It is important for Dennis residents and businesses to register, especially if they use unlisted numbers, cell phones, TDD/TTY or VOIP. Those who do not register their address and phone number may not be notified with CodeRED in the case of an emergency. Registration is confidential, free and easy. You can even create an account at CodeRED, which is optional.
Code Red now has a new way to enroll, CodeRED Text to Enroll. With Text to Enroll individuals can text the keyword “Dennis” to 99411 and receive a response back containing a Community Notification Enrollment (CNE) link.
Additionally, if you would like to register for the Town of Dennis CodeRED system you may visit the Dennis Police Department website:
https://www.town.dennis.ma.us/…/code-red-registration
and click on the “Click here to register” link at the bottom of the page
or the Dennis Water District website:
https://www.denniswater.org/resources/pages/codered
Those without internet access may call the Dennis Police Department’s Victim Services Coordinator at 774-352-1474 to supply their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, NO Post Office Boxes), city, state, zip code, and primary phone number, additional phone numbers can be entered as well. You may also add your email address.
ORLEANS – The Town of Orleans is changing its emergency alert system from CodeRed to CivicReady. This will allow the Town to better communicate with residents regarding emergencies and important information.
If you wish to continue receiving emergency notifications, you will need to sign up for CivicReady. Please do so by going to the Town of Orleans website at www.town.orleans.ma.us and follow the prompts on that page. If you have difficulty registering, there is an option to leave your name and number for a call back. If you do not have access to a computer and require assistance signing up, please call the Orleans Health Department at (508) 240-3700 ext. 2450.
CivicReady will be an excellent tool for you to utilize if you wish to stay informed with up to date information. Once rolled out, CivicReady will send emergency alerts to you via phone call, text message and email. Any important Town information that does not fall into the emergency category will be sent to you via email and text message only.
This new emergency alert system will go into effect on September 8. Again, please go to www.town.orleans.ma.us to sign up for CivicReady.
