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Town of Woodbury
CodeRed®

The Town of Woodbury has instituted the CodeRED Emergency Notification System - an ultra-speed telephone communication service for emergency notifications. This system allows us to telephone all or targeted areas of the Town in case of an emergency situation that requires immediate action.

The system is capable of dialing 50,000 phone numbers per hour. It then delivers our recorded message to a live person or an answering machine, making three attempts to connect to any number.

THIS SYSTEM WILL ONLY BE USED FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES.

Examples of times when the CodeRED system could be utilized:

    • Drinking water contamination
    • Utility outage
    • Evacuation notice & route
    • Missing person
    • Files or Floods
    • Bomb threat
    • Hostage situation
    • Chemical spill or Gas leak
    • School closing

and other emergency incidents where rapid and accurate notification is essential for life safety.

Click here to get started.

What YOU should know about Woodbury’s Code RED ® service

Question: What is Code RED® and why is it important to me?

Answer: Code RED® is a new Woodbury service by which Town officials can notify Town residents by telephone about emergency situations or critical community alerts. The system is capable of sending messages only to people affected by a particular situation, or, in the case of a widespread emergency like a hurricane, to the Town’s entire population.

The speed of the Code RED® system (up to 60,000 calls per hour) is so great that the Town is able to send a message to affected households almost as quickly as Town officials become aware of the situation.

Question: Does this mean the Town will be calling me constantly?

Answer: No. The Woodbury respects your privacy. Code RED® will be used only when situations arise that you should know about.

The system will be used to send messages only to those residents who are directly affected by a particular event. For example, if you happen to live in an area for which a “boil water” advisory has been issued due to a water main break, Code RED® will call only you and your neighbors to deliver that very important health advisory.

If there is a Town or region-wide emergency such as a hurricane, all Woodbury residents will be called and kept up to date on developments.

Question: For what kinds of situations will Code RED® be used?

Answer: Hurricanes and other types of severe weather, wildfire, water main breaks, alerts concerning a missing child or adult, road closings, traffic alerts, law enforcement emergencies, hazardous material spills – in short, any and all emergencies and community alerts.

Question: Why do I need Code RED® when I have radio and TV to keep me informed?

Answer: Code RED® is an additional measure of safety the Woodbury Town Commission and administration believe all of our residents need and deserve. If power goes out, you may not be able to depend upon radio and TV. However, because telephone lines are self-powered, the Town can continue to keep you informed through messages delivered by Code RED®.

Even if you have power, Code RED® will probably be able to reach you with important information faster than TV and radio stations can put it on the air. That’s because Code RED® is a direct connection between you and Woodbury.

And unlike hurricanes, many emergencies occur without advance warning. In such cases, you may have no reason to turn on a TV or radio. That’s when Code RED® can help Town officials alert you immediately and advise you to take appropriate action.

Question: I have a cordless phone, and it does not work when the power goes out. How is the Town going to be able to contact me?

Answer: There are two ways you can continue to receive telephone messages from the Town through Code RED®:

  • Make sure you have at least one working corded telephone – and be sure to turn the ringer on.
  • The Code RED® “Residential Data Collection” sign-up form gives you the option of filling in both a Primary Phone number and an alternate phone number. You can fill in the Alternate Phone number blank with your cell telephone number, or you can make it your Primary Phone number if you wish. Entering an alternate phone number will cause BOTH your primary and alternate phone numbers to be called.

Of course, no form of communication is guaranteed to remain in operation under severe conditions such as those produced by a powerful hurricane or a wildfire. Code RED® does widen the safety margin by offering Town residents another new and powerful means of learning about vital, timely information.

Question: Do I have to pay extra for Code RED® service?

Answer: No. Code RED® is entirely paid for by Woodbury at a cost of less than 40 cents per resident per year.

Question: Does the Town have my telephone number, or do I have to sign up to receive Code RED® emergency calls?

Answer: We strongly encourage you to sign up for Code RED®. After all, you are the most reliable source of information about how to reach your household by phone.

Because Woodbury wants to reach everyone affected by an emergency whether or not they have signed up for Code RED®, two Woodbury telephone number databases are already available to the system. One is the emergency 9-1-1 database all public safety agencies in Litchfield County use whenever someone dials 9-1-1. The other is a database prepared by the company that supplies Code RED® service to the Town. Both databases are updated regularly.

If you have moved or changed your telephone number recently, you should definitely sign up for Code RED® service or update information you have already provided. Any new information you supply will automatically replace old information.

Question: How do I sign up for Code RED®?

Answer: Click here

Question: Can I arrange to have Code RED® call my place of business?

Answer: Yes. Click here. When the Residential Data Collection form opens, click on the button labeled “Click to Switch to Business Data” and fill in the required information. Please note that emergency calls can only be delivered to a direct dial number. Automated attendants will disrupt the process and calls will not be delivered.

Question: Can I choose NOT to receive Code RED® messages?

Answer: Yes. Woodbury respects your privacy.

If you do not want to receive calls, please notify Woodbury, preferably in writing. However, we strongly advise you to reconsider. Code RED® is designed to make certain you receive fast, accurate emergency information directly from the Town officials whose job is to help protect you and your family.

Question: Who provides the Code RED® service? Is the company reputable?

Answer: Emergency Communications Network in Ormond Beach, Florida, provides the service to Woodbury. In business since 1996, the company provides Code RED® service to approximately 30 percent of Florida counties and 10 percent of Florida cities. Among Code RED®’s many current clients are Venice, Orlando, Orange County, Naples, Marco Island, Longboat Key, Ft. Myers Beach and Collier County.

One of the many reasons Woodbury chose Code RED® was the Town of Venice’s very positive experience using the system.

Question:I live near Woodbury, but I am not a resident. Can I sign up for CodeRED®?

Answer: No, unfortunately. Woodbury pays for Code RED® service based on its own population. However, we encourage you to check with the county or Town in which you live. Many use automated telephone notification systems to alert residents in times of emergency.

Town staff members will regularly check the CodeRED® database and eliminate addresses and telephone numbers not located within Woodbury’s borders.

A vitally important service, Code RED® is yet another way your Woodbury Town government is seeking to improve public communications and reach out to citizens.

If you have any further questions about Code RED®, please call Woodbury Charlie Rutledge, Deputy Emergency Management Director 203-263-2141

 

 

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