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City to try out new alert system
By NOOR ELASHI
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - Warning sirens will no longer be the city's main method of
announcing emergencies to the North Richland Hills community.
Whether facing
hazardous-materials spills, drinking-water contamination, severe weather or
vast utility outages, the city will notify residents about the emergency
through a simple phone call. The city will begin testing the CodeRED
notification system today by calling 400 business and homes. The city will
start using the program later this week.
"The
system will help us get information to our residents in a quick and timely
fashion," said Richard Abernethy, assistant to the city manager.
North Richland
Hills is adopting CodeRED now because it got a bargain -- 25 percent off --
by persuading several other Northeast Tarrant County cities to join up as
well. Hurst, Haltom City, Watauga and Grapevine have signed up and will
also get the discount, Abernethy said.
The system cost
North Richland Hills $15,000 the first year and $10,000 every following
year.
Colleyville was
the first in Northeast Tarrant County to adopt CodeRED. Since October 2004,
the city has used it six times to notify residents of emergencies,
Colleyville City Manager Bill Lindley said.
The system
delivers messages at about 60,000 calls per hour to residents' home phones
or cellphones.
North Richland
Hills resident Steven Cooper said he appreciates the immediate warnings on
his cellphone and applauded the city's aggressive approach to emergency
communications.
"It gives
me a sense of comfort because it's really only a phone call away," he
said.
To sign up
To add your
name and phone number to the CodeRED system database, go online to www.nrhtx.com and click on the
CodeRED link.
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