RBC I The Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Meeker and Rangely police departments, will mail a flier this week that encourages all residents to sign up for the cell phone registration and CodeRED (the 911 reverse calling system).
You can add your phone number(s) to the CodeRED calling list so you can be notified of major incidents that may be occurring in your neighborhood. You can also sign up for text messages and email messages from CodeRED.
If you have Internet service, you can go to the Rio Blanco County homepage and link to the sheriff’s office page. From there, look for the CodeRED logo and click on it. If you do not have a computer or access to one, you can simply call the sheriff’s office or Rangely Police Department any time day or night and give them your information. The dispatcher can complete the process for you.
No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included in the database. Required information includes name, physical address (no P.O. boxes), city, state, ZIP code and primary phone number. Additional phone numbers can be entered as well.
Businesses should also register as well as individuals who have unlisted phone numbers or those who have changed their phone numbers or address within the past year. Those who use a cellular phone or VoIP phone as their primary number are also encouraged to register.
CodeRED allows geographically based delivery, which means street addresses are required to ensure emergency notification calls are received by the proper individuals in any given situation. The system works for cell phones too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages.
If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called. One of the reasons the CodeRED system was selected by the county is because it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly into the system’s database, which is an extremely important feature.
CodeRED can send out two different type of messages: general and emergency. The difference the public will see is in the caller ID. In an emergency message, from either the police or sheriff’s office the caller ID on your phone will display Emergency Comm 1-866-419-5000. In a general message, the ID will be ECN Community 1-855-969-4636.
The calls can always be replayed if you did not get all the information the first time, by simply pushing any number on the keypad. If you are looking to get a text message, in addition to or instead of a voice call, you just need to enter your cell number and cell provider.
You may also give your email address if you would like that type of notification also. You can add multiple numbers and, if you wish, you can opt out of the general messages and receive only emergency messages. The CodeRED system is used to send critical communications, such as evacuation notices and missing child alerts.
There’s an app for that.
Residents in Rio Blanco County will receive enhanced public safety alerts through the newly released version of the public safety app —CodeRED Mobile Alert. The app is provided through the county’s existing contract with Emergency Communications Network, LLC.
The new version of the app is free to download for iPhone and Android subscribers, will allow residents the ability to view all active alerts for the entire country. This ability was previously limited to a 500-mile radius of the subscriber’s current location and has since been expanded to a 5,000-mile radius. As subscribers navigate to view alerts outside of their area, they now have the option to simply tap the compass icon at the bottom right hand corner of the screen to return them to their current location.
The enhanced app features group badge icons on the subscriber’s setting page to alert the user to select the types of subgroup notifications available. The enhancement was made to draw attention to the subgroups of alerts available as part of the CodeRED Mobile Alert app’s highly customizable settings. To select subgroups, the user must tap on the icon, which will reveal additional alerts available.
The upgraded version of the CodeRED Mobile Alert app will enhance public safety by giving subscribers the ability to see alerts outside of their current area. If you are traveling outside of the Rio Blanco County, you can access active alerts that may have been issued in other CodeRED communities.
Residents who would like access to the enhanced CodeRED Mobile Alert must update their current CodeRED Mobile Alert app. For iPhone subscribers, the user may visit their App Store and search for Updates. For Android subscribers, the user will receive a notification that an upgrade is available for the app.
All Rio Blanco County residents who have smartphones are encouraged to download the app. The app enables the RBCSO to send notifications to only those citizens in the affected area of the alert, reducing false alarm. The app is available for a free download on the iTunes store and Google Play. For more information or to download the CodeRED Mobile Alert app, visit ecnetwork.com/mobile/getitnow.html.
If you are ready to sign up, go to one of these websites:
www.co.rio-blanco.co.us/departments/sheriff.html (click on the CodeRED link), or visit public.coderedweb.com/CNE/ 44459ECA5DE6.
If you need more information or do not have a computer, you may call the Sheriff’s Office at 970-878-9600 or the Rangely Police Department at 970-675-8466. The dispatcher will take your information and get you signed up.
