From the Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Manager:

The Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Management has joined with 15 other local counties and contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution. The CodeRED system provides city/county officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire city/county.

Jon Rosenlund, Emergency Management Director, cautioned that such systems are only as good as the telephone number database supporting them.

"If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called," he said.

One of the reasons the CodeRED system was selected is it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly into the system's database, this is an extremely important feature.

“No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included,” Rosenlund said.

All individuals and businesses are urged to log onto the Emergency Management Department’s website, www.grand-island.com/ready and follow the link to the "CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment" page. Those without Internet access may call the Department, 308-385-5360, Monday through Friday, (8AM-5PM) to supply 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 can be entered as well.

All businesses should register, as well as all individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address within the past year, and those who use a cellular phone or VoIP phone as their primary number.

"CodeRED allows geographically based delivery, which means street addresses are required to ensure emergency notification calls are received by the proper individuals in a given situation," said Rosenlund. "The system works for cell phones too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages."

"CodeRED gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for inputting information. The data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes," he said.

Questions should be directed to the Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Management Office, 308-385-5360 or beready@grand-island.com.