City of DeSoto pleased with Code Red emergency notification system

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

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The system is a enables the city to make its residents aware of cases involving dangerous or serious situations requiring immediate action.

DeSoto organizers of a citywide emergency notification system are pleased with the partnership.

More than a year into Code Red, Assistant DeSoto Fire Chief Mike Neill is in charge of administering the program for the city. He said it allows the department to alert citizens about potentially dangerous situations, such as drinking water contamination, a missing child, flood, street closure, chemical spill or gas leak.

“We've used it, as far as the fire department goes, in letting people know about rising water on the creek,” Neill, with the DeSoto Fire Department for 22 years, said.

The system is a high-speed telephone communication service that enables the city to make its residents aware of cases involving dangerous or serious situations requiring immediate action.

The system is capable of dialing 50,000 phone numbers in one hour. It will only be used for emergency purposes. All information will remain private and will only be used to notify DeSoto resident of critical times or situations.

“It's a great customer service tool because it allows us to notify as many or as few people right away, without any delay,” Neill said.

Those DeSoto homeowners and businessowners with information on file at the telephone and/or utility companies are registered in the system, Neill said.

“Anything registered with 911 we'll have on file,” he said. “Twice a year we'll review utility billing information to update any numbers that may have changed, particularly with those residents living in apartments.”

For this program to be successful, city staff must have accurate contact information for each household and business. For those wanting additional or alternate numbers used as their contact number, they are urged to go to the city's website at www.ci.desoto.tx.us, click on the Code Red icon and enter your name, address and up to two emergency phone numbers.

For those with questions about Code Red, call the DeSoto Fire Rescue Administration at 972-230-9680.

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