An important part of this year’s Ready in Renton campaign is the launching of CodeRed™, a state-of-the-art emergency notification system.

The CodeRed™ system provides city officials with the ability to provide pre-recorded emergency telephone notification/information messages to targeted areas or the entire city at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.

The City of Renton is encouraging residents and businesses to sign up for CodeRed™ to be sure they receive timely emergency notifications when alerts are issued.

CodeRed™ combines its calling data and GIS mapping technology to geographically target and notify affected individuals. The system will help let people know about emergencies such as floods, evacuation notices or other incidents that can affect their safety or health, according to city officials.

The 9-1-1 database provides the primary list of phone numbers used by CodeRed™. While this data does include unlisted numbers, it does not include a significant portion of the community that utilize VOIP phone service (voice over internet protocol), or cellular mobile devices as their main point of contact.

The City chose the CodeRed™ system for its affordability and adaptability, but residents are reminded that the system is only as good as the telephone database that supports it.

“If for some reason your phone number is not in the database then we can’t call you to warn you,” said Deborah Needham, Emergency Management Director. “No one should assume their phone number is included, so everyone should register now.”

People and businesses that want to be sure they are included in the CodeRed™ data base can do so by registering at rentonwa.gov beginning Sept. 1. Those who do not have internet access may register by calling 425-430-7000 to request a registration form by mail.