CodeRED
The City of Lincoln has contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution. The CodeRED Emergency Notification System is a fast communication service allowing the City of Lincoln to provide mass notification quickly and easily for such emergencies as drinking water contamination, utility outage, evacuation notice, missing person(s), fires or floods, bomb threat, hostage situation, chemical spill or gas leak, and other emergency incidents where rapid and accurate notification is essential for life safety.
This service is free to all residents and businesses located within our community. The data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes.
What do I have to do to receive this benefit?
To receive CodeRED and Weather Warning Calls, you must register your home, cell phone (associated with your address), or business phone number in the CodeRED database. No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included. If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called. The CodeRED system gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly into the system’s database.
The CodeRed link is available here. If you would like to join the Weather Warning program, please make sure to check the Weather Warning Box on the Registration Form before you submit.
Those without Internet access may get online at Lincoln Library. Blank forms will also be available at City Hall and the Water Department, Monday through Friday, (8AM-5PM). 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.
For those who are hearing impaired, the sign up form offers a TDD ONLY option for tone delivery of emergency messages. Messages delivered to phone numbers marked TDD will only be delivered in a TDD/TTY format.
How does CodeRed work?
CodeRED delivers the important message through a high-speed telephone calling system to a phone number you provide. In the event of an emergency, a “call area” will be marked by the City identifying street addresses. Telephone numbers will be matched up electronically to these addresses through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). A pre-recorded message will be sent out via the telephone with information about the incident and possibly instructions for action to be taken.
What should I do if I receive a CodeRED message?
• Listen Carefully
• Follow Instructions
• Don’t hang up until you hear the whole message (the message will not be repeated)
• DO NOT call 9-1-1 unless instructed to do so (You will only tie up emergency lines)
What is CodeRED Weather Warning?
Residents can also sign up for CodeRED Weather Warning while signing up for CodeRED. The CodeRED Weather Warning will automatically call citizens when severe weather (tornado, flash flood, and severe thunderstorm) warnings are issued by the National Weather Service for your address. The CodeRED Weather Warning System calls only when warnings are issued and only if your address is in the path of the storm.
What message will I receive from CodeRED Weather Warning?
CodeRED Weather Warning will deliver a pre-recorded alert message directly to phones in the projected path of the severe weather. The system automatically sends these notifications 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, giving you the needed time to prepare. This becomes even more critical if a tornado comes through your area during the night, when television, radio broadcasts and sirens are ineffective.
How Does CodeRED Weather Warning Work?
CodeRED Weather Warning uses warnings directly from the National Weather Service and contacts only those in the affected areas. CodeRED Weather Warning monitors each NWS bulletin to determine the severity of the warning, the exact areas affected, and the predicted heading of the threatening storm. CodeRED Weather Warning then creates a calling database of all subscribers within the projected area of the severe weather. This calling database is then immediately submitted to the CodeRED Weather Warning automated calling system. The need for human intervention to activate warnings is eliminated, significantly decreasing the response time for fast moving storms.
What should I do if I don’t receive a message?
Your area of the community may not be affected. In which case, you won’t receive a call even if it’s only a block away.
Any questions about signing up for CodeRed can be directed to the Lincoln Water Department (824-4274). A listing of Frequently Asked Questions is available at the FAQ link listed below.
CodeRED FAQ