The City of Blue Springs, Missouri and the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) have contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution. The CodeRED system provides officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire covered region. This service is available to all Blue Springs residents and those covered in the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
Blue Springs Police Chief Wayne McCoy, 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." 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,” McCoy said urging all residents and businesses to visit either the City of Blue Springs Website, www.bluespringsgov.com/codered or the CJCFPD Website, www.cjcfpd.org/codered, and follow the instructions on the site. Those without Internet access may call the CodeRED hotline at (816) 220-CODE (2633) 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 are encouraged to 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.
Central Jackson County Fire Protection District Fire Chief Steven P. Westermann explained, "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. The system works for cell phones too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages."
Westermann stated, "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."
For more information about the CodeRED system, please contact Kim Nakahodo, Communications Manager at (816) 655-0497.