CodeRED, the emergency notification system used by the Oak Ridge Fire Department, launched a new short code for SMS text messages and weather warning messages this month. Notifications will now come from 76993, a press release said.
A short code is the five- or six-digit number sequence that appears on a mobile device when a message is delivered. This update means that any citizen who saved the previous short code in their phone as a contact will no longer see the name they designated (i.e. “CodeRED Alert”), but users will continue to receive messages just as they have in the past.
No action is required for users of the CodeRED system in light of this recent update. However, they are encouraged to program the new short code into their mobile phone or other device to ensure awareness of future alerts, the press release said. Again, the new short code is 76993.
“The community is encouraged to sign up for CodeRed alerts if they have not already done so,” the release said. “These messages can be a life-saving tool in an emergency. The process is simple; just visit the Oak Ridge Fire Department Web page for a link.”
For more information, call the Oak Ridge Fire Department at (865) 425-3520.
How CodeRED works: If you have a landline phone at your home or business through AT&T or Comcast, you will automatically receive a call from CodeRed alerting you of severe weather. If the city has a local emergency, the fire department will send an automated call to affected homes and business in order to provide information about the event. If you do not have a landline phone, or if you would like to be notified even when you are not at home, you can sign up on the CodeRed system using a cell phone. By registering a mobile number to your home or business address, you will receive emergency notifications regardless of your physical location.
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