Many Rockdale residents have noticed that around 6 p.m. every day there is no sound of sirens going off and there hasn’t been since the winter season.
That is because the four sirens aligned along US 79 that used to ring out tests or warning have been silenced for now.
They have been silenced for two reasons: one is the cost of maintenance and the other is effectiveness.
The sirens were in an almost constant need of repair and it was not cost effective to maintain them, the Rockdale police chief said.
A lot of people didn’t know what the warning sounds stood for was another.
“It was costing thousands of dollars to keep them going,” Police Chief Jerry Meadors said. “I am interested in a system that would truly inform citizens in real time.”
He did some research and found Code Red. He told the City Council what he found and they gave him the go ahead to put Code Red in place.
Code Red is used by the county and it won’t cost the city any money.
It is simple to sign up for.
“It is a mass notification tool to keep citizens informed,” he said.
The program is set to go live July 1. To sign up on your cell phone go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ecnetwork.crma&hl=en_….
Or one may sign up on the county website at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BFB2CB-4C492D.
“It is simple to use,” he said. “It is a very cost-effective way of keeping citizens informed of what is going on in the city.”
Meadors said that the sirens will still play a role in the city’s emergency notification plan as they are now the property of the city.
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