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Emergency-notification system ready to alert town residents

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, July 7, 2006

BY JUSTIN AMOAH
Journal Staff Writer

TIVERTON -- Town residents should not be so quick to hang up the telephone receiver if they hear an automated message on the other end. After all, it may be a message from Police Chief Thomas Blakey warning residents about an impending emergency situation.

The town has recently implemented the "CodeRED" emergency-notification system that can spread prerecorded emergency messages to select areas or to entire 15,000-person community within 20 minutes.

Messages could be sent regarding evacuation notices, bioterrorism alerts, boil-water advisories or considerable traffic problems.

Missing children or missing Alzheimer's patients could also warrant messages to locals. As could businesses, which would receive word of suspected check or credit-card fraud in the area, said Blakey.

Although CodeRED "is an excellent system that can service the entire town within minutes," he said, no one should assume they will be forewarned.

Currently, the police have two-thirds of local houses registered. The police are urging all residents and businesses to register.

Residents and business can register by logging onto the Tiverton Police Web site (www.tivertonpolice.org/) and clicking the link titled, "Want us to call you in an EMERGENCY???" Those without Internet access should call the police records department (401-625-6716) during business hours.

Blakey emphasized that residents and businesses that have changed their phone numbers or addresses within the last year, those living in mobile homes, those who use their cellular phone as their primary telephone and those who have unlisted phone numbers should register on the Web site or call the records department.

jamoahATprojo.com / (401)277-7462