By Becky Killian, Staff Writer

Registration has opened for the county’s new local emergency notification system.

The system, called CodeRED, will send mass notification alerts when emergencies such as floods, boil water advisories, shelter-in-place orders, or evacuations occur.
To register for the alerts, visit the Washington County government website at washingtoncounty.in.gov and click on the CodeRED icon that appears on the homepage. That will direct you to the registration site. Registration is free.

When registering, residents can choose how to receive the alerts, such as by telephone, text, or email. There is also a CodeRED app available from the App Store or Google Play.

The alerts will only be issued to residents in the areas affected by emergencies, and residents can choose which types of alerts they wish to receive.

Residents who don’t have internet access can pick up a registration form to complete at the Washington County Sheriff's Department, the Building Department/EMA Office, or the Justice Center.

The system is cloud based the automatic calls can be launched from the county’s dispatch center or from on-scene emergency responders. Alerts from the National Weather Service are automatically routed through the system.

Emergency Management Director Deni Stempowski emphasized that registration is important since the county does not have contact information for all residents and what information they have may be outdated.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved the system in July.

The system will cost $28,015 for a five-year contract after quoted discounts. There is also a one-time implementation and training fee of $750. Stempowski used grants, fundraising, and donations to pay for the system.