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CodeRED

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1. What is CodeRED, and why is it important to me?

CodeRED is an emergency notification service that allows emergency officials to notify residents and businesses regarding time-sensitive general and emergency notifications by:

• Cell phone
• Email
• Social media
• Telephone
• Text message

Only authorized Town of Vinton officials have access to send notifications with the CodeRED system.

2. When will CodeRED be used?

Any emergency notification regarding the safety, property, or welfare of the community may be sent using the CodeRED system. These may include:

• Evacuation notices
• Criminal activities
• Shelter in place/lockdown alerts
• Missing child/person alerts
• Boil water advisories
• Road closures due to construction, accidents, special events, or other issues
• Notifications of hazardous traffic or road conditions
• Severe weather alerts
• Natural disaster information
• General Town information

In addition, all subscribers have the option to opt in to non-emergency community alerts.

3. How can I sign up for CodeRED?

It is simple and quick to sign up for CodeRED.  Just visit the CodeRED's Community Notification Enrollment portal and follow the simple steps to complete your enrollment.  You can also text the word TOVAlerts to 99411 to receive a direct link to the signup portal on your mobile device.

4. How does CodeRED work?

CodeRED delivers the notification through a high-speed telephone calling system to a phone number on the CodeRED database. Town of Vinton staff will access CodeRED via a secure portal on the web. A "call area" will be marked identifying street addresses. Telephone numbers will be matched up electronically to these addresses through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). A voice and/or text message will be sent out via the telephone with information about the incident and possibly instructions for action(s) to be taken.

5. Does the CodeRED system replace other systems that have been used to provide time-sensitive information to residents?

This system is an enhancement to existing means of communication and is meant to supplement current or procedures used for mass notification. In addition to CodeRED, the Town of Vinton will still provide information to local TV, radio, and newspapers, as well as Facebook and Twitter accounts.

6. Does the CodeRED system already have my telephone number, or do I need to sign up to receive CodeRED notifications?

Initially, all phone numbers listed in the "white pages" are entered by the vendor into the CodeRED system. However, this database does not include cell phone numbers or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone (internet calling) type numbers. No resident should assume that their information is in the system. Therefore, we urge all persons living or working in the Town of Vinton and East Roanoke County limits to enter their phone numbers into the CodeRED system, along with their home or work address. By doing so, everyone can quickly receive CodeRED emergency notices from the Town. Enter your information on CodeRed's Community Notification Enrollment Portal.

7. What types of accounts are available to choose from when I sign up for CodeRED?

It is recommended that you create a managed account so you will have access later on to modify your existing notification settings and contact information. Below is a list of all your account options: 

• Single Sign-on Account: To create a single sign-on account, click the button next to “Yes” and click the corresponding logo to the credentials you would like to use, either Google, Facebook or Twitter. You will be prompted to log into your account to permit access. 
• Managed Account: To create a managed account, click the button next to “Yes” and create a username and password. Please be sure to record this information for later use (username: 6 characters or more, password: 8) With this type of account, you will be able to log back in and update your contact information at a later date.
• Non-managed Account: With this type of account, you will not have another option to create an account later in the form, or have the ability to log back in and update your contact information at a later date.

8. I have a business located in Town of Vinton or East Roanoke County. Can I arrange to have CodeRED messages sent to my business?

Yes. Sign up on the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment Portal, but be sure to select the "This address is business" option. Please note that emergency calls can only be delivered to a direct dial number. Automated attendants and phone trees will disrupt the process and the calls will not be delivered. Businesses should register their main number and establish a procedure for distributing the CodeRED notification to their workforce.

9. What if I want to register additional numbers for my address?

After you submit the initial registration form, you may start the registration process again and submit more numbers for the same address. Or sign up for a managed account initially and you will be able to edit and also add numbers later.  Visit the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment Portal to submit additional contact information.

10. Is my personal information protected?

CodeRED is a service of Emergency Communications Network which takes security and privacy concerns very seriously. They will not sell, trade, lease, or loan any citizen supplied data to third parties. Review the CodeRED Privacy Policy.

11. How will I recognize a CodeRED notification?

CodeRED messages will have the caller ID number of 866-419-5000 for emergencies, the caller ID number 855-969-4636 for non-emergencies, and the caller ID number 800-566-9780 for the weather warning system. It is highly recommended you program the numbers in your cell phone as a "new contact" and use "CodeRED Emergency", "CodeRED General", and CodeRED Weather" as the contact names for the numbers. Text messages will come from the number 76993.

If you miss a CodeRED call and need to replay the emergency notification again, simply redial the number, and you will be able to hear the notification again.

12. What should I do if I receive a CodeRED notification?

If you receive a CodeRED notification:

1. Listen carefully to the entire notification.
2. You will have the option to repeat the notification by pressing any key.
3. Follow the instructions given by Town Officials.
4. Do NOT call 911 or any other Town of Vinton phone number for further information unless directed to do so or unless you need immediate aid from the Police and/or the Fire/Rescue Department. If you are not in need of immediate aid, calling will only tie up emergency lines.

13. Will the CodeRED system leave a message on an answering machine?

Yes, the CodeRED system will leave a message on a machine or on voicemail. The CodeRED system will leave the entire message in one pass. 

14. I have a cordless phone, and it does not work when the power goes out. How will the system be able to contact me?

Make sure you have at least one working corded telephone, and be sure to turn the ringer on. The CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment Portal allows you to create an account and within the account indicate both a primary and alternate phone number. Cell phone and/or work phone numbers can be entered as alternate phone numbers. Both primary and alternate phone numbers will be contacted when a notification is sent. 

15. I received an emergency message that went to my home phone voicemail. Only part of the message recorded. Why does this happen, and what should I do?

The emergency message delivery depends on how your voicemail is set up. If your voicemail starts with a "Hi" or "Hello" and then a pause, the system will think someone has answered live and start playing the message. The good news is, you can always hear the message in its entirety by calling the number listed on the caller ID to replay the message. 

16. What happens if my line is busy?

If your line is busy, CodeRED will try two more times to connect. 

17. What circumstances might prevent a notification from being delivered to me?

Town of Vinton will receive a report of undelivered calls, and can instruct the CodeRED system to begin another round of calls to busy numbers. However, it is best for you to have an alternate phone number in the calling database for these situations.  Sign up on the Community Notification Enrollment Portal to add your contact information into the database.

18. Will I receive all notifications sent by the Town of Vinton?

If your area of the community is not affected by the incident, the Town of Vinton may elect to target the notification to the specific area where the emergency is going on. In this case, you won't receive a call, even if it's only a block away. This is an effort to ensure that only residents and businesses that need to take action receive notifications. 

To receive non-emergency notifications from the Town, you will need to opt in to receive non-emergency community notifications using the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment Portal. 

19. How can I make sure I receive a CodeRED notification if telephone systems are overloaded?

We recommend that you register a cell phone number which can receive text notifications into the system. During an emergency when many people are trying to utilize their phones, text notifications are much more likely to go through than a voice call. 

20. How do I remove my number from CodeRED?

We highly discourage residents or businesses from unsubscribing from CodeRED, as they will not receive critical emergency notifications. However, if you are in our database, and you do not want to be in our database and be contacted by CodeRED, visit the CodeRED notifications opt-out webpage. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for your number to be removed from the database.

21. What happens if I miss a CodeRED phone call or I want to hear the message again later?

If you miss a CodeRED call and need to replay the emergency notification again, simply redial the number on your caller ID, and you will be able to hear the notification again.

22. What is the CodeRED mobile app and how can I download it?

With the CodeRED Mobile Alert app – the nation’s most downloaded public safety notification app – OnSolve enables subscribers to receive these notifications directly to their mobile device whether at home, on the road, or traveling around the country.

These mobile push notifications deliver relevant, location-based alerts based on GPS location to ensure you receive critical information when you are in a CodeRED client’s jurisdiction. 

The CodeRED Mobile App is available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Search for "CodeRED Mobile Alert". 

Find out more information and download the CodeRED mobile app today!

23. Why is Straight Talk not listed as a service provider for the CodeRED alert?

Straight Talk is owned by TracPhone. TracPhone piggybacks off of the major carries (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint). In order to find out which provider you have, you can try a few different things:

• Send a text to your email address to see what text address comes through as the sender.  For example, "5401234567@vtext.com" would be from Verizon.
• Turn your phone off and then back on to see which provider is listed as the phone starts up.
• Check your the area where your battery or sim card is stored on the phone, sometimes the provider is listed in that area.