Emergency Information and Notifications
For information on contacting Grand County's Office of Emergency Management, the Grand County Public Information Officers group, registering special needs persons in preparation for an evacuation and up to date information on current emergencies in Grand County, please visit the Grand County Office of Emergency Management website by going to www.gcemergency.com or by clicking their logo to the left.
What to Know about Being Notified in Case of an Emergency in Grand County
For those homes and businesses with a traditional land line phone - In the event of an emergency such as flood, wildfire or some other emergency requiring community notification then the traditional public notification system will be used. This system only works for traditional phone numbers and phone lines (from Century Link, Qwest, etc…) not cell phones and not VOIP (Voice Over IP such as Vonage, Magic Jack, NetTalk, Ooma, etc…) There is no registration required as that was all taken care of when you signed up for the phone service. The system relies on the physical address information provided when you signed up.
What Happens When a Public Notification Call Goes Out?
When the emergency dispatcher is told during an emergency that a public notification call needs to be made, then they use the system to select a geographic area on a map and the message that needs to be sent to those people inside that area. Then the “call” is made to all the phone numbers inside the selected area. This can take some time as every number is called, rings, is picked up and the message transmitted.
What if I Don’t Have a Traditional Phone Line?
Grand County uses the CodeRED Community Notification system as an alternative to standard public notification systems for people who only have cell phones or VOIP. CodeRED essentially takes the place of the database of phone numbers and addresses that the phone company built for the traditional land lines. However, it is not automatic and requires you to register the number you want to be notified and the physical location you want that number associated with. After you have signed up, then the process for initiating a notice is the same as the public notification process above. The CodeRED system works for ANY phone number, including cell, VOIP and land line. However, while registering a land line number will work, it will result in notifications being sent from both systems, which requires more time and can delay notices being sent to other people.
Click here or the CodeRED button above to go to the registration page for Grand County Colorado ONLY.
What if I Don’t Want to Register a Cell Phone or Only Want to be Notified When I’m in Grand County?
If you want to be notified of emergencies in Grand County when you’re here or of whatever emergency might be going on around you wherever you are in the country then down load the CodeRED Mobile Alert app for Android or iPhone. The app taps into the national CodeRED Emergency Notification System and alerts subscribers located within a given notification area generated by public safety officials. The app is geo-aware so no matter where you are when an alert is issued, you will receive notifications that affect you - right on your mobile device - right where you are. The app transmits geographically-based notifications; requiring subscribers to enable their location services so the app can determine the user’s specific location.
Additionally, national organizations used by public safety officials and police departments may utilize the system to send messages to targeted geographic areas. Not every state or county uses CodeRED so you may not receive a notification. Always check with the local fire, police departments or the local office of emergency management to find out what system they are using.
Click here or the CodeRED Mobile Alert button above to download.