New emergency alert system coming to Franklin Co.

FRANKLIN COUNTY (WSLS 10) - A new, high speed emergency notification system is coming for residents of Franklin County. 

Public Safety Director Daryl Hatcher says the county has contracted with Emergency Communications Network's CodeRED system, a high speed emergency notification system to be used in the event of an emergency. 

The system will also allow for mass distribution of general messages if needed. 

This emergency notifications system, commonly referred to as reverse 9-1-1, will allow Franklin County emergency management officials to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or to the entire county via land based phone, cell phone, text messages and/or email. There is also a free mobile app that can be downloaded for any iPhone or Android device. 

CodeRED allows for messages such as weather alerts, road closures, evacuation notices, boil water alerts, missing person etc. to be broadcast to citizens quickly. 

County officials say the new CodeRED system will replace a previously utilized emergency notification system that became outdated.

Hatcher cautioned that the effectiveness of the system is only as good as the telephone numbers registered within the system. All land based phones have been imported into the system by the phone carrier, however cell phones must be registered by the end user. The end user must also be registered in order to receive messages via text or email. 

To register your mobile device to receive voice or text messages please go to http://www.franklincountyva.gov/public-safety and click the CodeRED icon for directions. 

For assistance please contact the public safety office at 540-483-3091.