Residential landline telephones automatically receive CodeRED messages, however Washington Township businesses must register if they wish to receive emergency notification. Also, residents should register if they:
· Want their cell phone called
· Want to provide a work phone as a back-up to their home phone
· Want to provide a caregiver back-up number
· Recently moved and kept their old phone number
· Have changed their phone number in the past six months
· Use a TDD/TTY

Click here to register to register your number for CodeRED

Click here to register your business for CodeRED

The Full Story About CodeRED

The City of Centerville and Washington Township have adopted CodeRED, a new emergency alert system that relays information to residents by phone. Coordinated through the Miami Valley Communications Council, 16 communities in the Dayton area now use the system.

CodeRED is a computer-generated, high-speed messaging system. In an emergency situation, the Township Administrator and City Manager, or their designees, will determine specific areas or neighborhoods to be notified and then create a recorded message that describes the emergency and provides instructions and information. A high-speed dialer delivers the message at a rate of 60,000 calls an hour.

"We intend to use CodeRED selectively and never for routine purposes. We don't want to overload the public with information," said Township Administrator Gary Huff. Potential uses include fires, floods, water boil alerts, missing persons, evacuation notices, crime alerts, terrorist threats, chemical spills, drinking water contamination, viral outbreaks, utility outages and street closures.

The system will be used along with other emergency communication methods, including WCWT 101.5 FM, he said

CodeRED already has proved effective in a number of emergencies. In 2003, officials in Maryland and New Jersey used it to alert residents about the approach of Hurricane Isabel. The system also is credited with helping the Hernando County, Florida Sheriff's Department rescue a 14-year-old girl who was abducted from her church. The dialing system sent out 426 calls requesting information from neighborhood residents, long before the girl's abduction status met Amber Alert criteria.

The city and township have entered into a two-year agreement with CodeRED, a company based in Florida, and are offering the service at no charge to residents. The alert system and database are secure and no phone or address lists will be sold.

The CodeRED system uses a database of phone numbers obtained from the credit bureau. The list, which is updated quarterly, includes all residents with a landline phone. Local businesses, residents who use a cell phone as a primary phone, and residents who have an unlisted number are encouraged to register with CodeRED in order to receive emergency alerts. The same is true for residents with a TDD/TTY for the hearing impaired in their home.

Residents also may register an alternative phone number such as a work number or cell phone number for back-up. Caregivers and family members may find it helpful to register their phone number as an alternate for someone who is ill or elderly. The CodeRED alert will dial both phone numbers to communicate the emergency message.

The dialing system will leave emergency messages on voicemail or answering machines. If the dialing system doesn't reach a person or message system, it will attempt each phone number three times, then try a back-up number if one has been registered. Pagers can not receive CodeRED alerts.