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. [Read more…]