CodeRED test at noon Friday

Bourbon County residents will receive a test alert on their cell phones at noon Friday, Oct. 10, as part of the new CodeRed alert system.

Following an extensive and thorough evaluation and review of alerting systems, Bourbon County has implemented the CodeRED system, a high-speed emergency notification service provided by Emergency Communications Network, based in Ormond Beach, Florida. Public safety officials across the United States have credited CodeRED notifications for many successful events including locating missing children, apprehending wanted criminals and issuing timely evacuations.

The Code RED system will serve as the backbone of the County's emergency planning and communications outreach. The platform will allow the City to communicate with both citizens and City personnel by using the system capabilities to send telephone calls, text messages, emails, and social media in an effort to effectively inform residents of emergencies to protect life and property. CodeRED, among other notification systems available, was selected for its unrivaled reliability and accuracy, as well as the system's global use.

Bourbon County has also contracted the Code RED Weather Warning system, an automated weather warning technology that delivers phone calls, text messages, and emails to registered residents and businesses within the direct path of severe weather. The CodeRED Weather

Warning system is an opt-in service that automatically notifies those registered of tornado, flash flood, and severe thunderstorm warnings just minutes after an alert is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS).

The county has been provided an initial database of residential and business telephone numbers, however all residents living within the Bourbon County limits are encouraged to visit http://www.bourboncountyks.org and click on the Code RED logo to enroll additional contact information including cell phone numbers, text and email addresses. This link will also allow residents to opt-in to receive the automated Weather Warnings. Residents and businesses are encouraged to enter both a cell phone number and email address, and designate the types of weather warnings to be received.