LCSO incorporates reverse 9-1-1 system

Courtesy Lyon County Sheriff’s Office

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office has incorporated a reverse 9-1-1 system called CodeRED. This is an emergency notification service by which the Sheriff’s Office can notify residents and businesses by telephone or cellular phone about developing emergency situations. The system is capable of sending messages to either specific streets, neighborhoods or the entire community.

CodeRED is only used when emergency situations arise that you should know about, such as evacuation notices, missing or lost persons, fires or floods, significant criminal situations, chemical spills or gas leaks. The Sheriff’s Office has used it effectively during recent police operations, missing juveniles, and during January flooding.

When the system was implemented it was programed to call landline phones but residents can register to have their cellphones called by going to the following link:

https://public.coderedweb.com/cne/7589ADE0401F

A CodeRED message will have a caller ID 866-419-5000. We suggest you program this number in your cell phone as a “new contact” and use “CodeRED” as the contact name. If you need to replay the emergency notification message, simply dial this number and you will be able to hear the message again. A message will usually begin, “This is the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office with an emergency message regarding…”

When you receive a CodeRED message listen carefully to the entire message. It will be brief and will not be repeated. Follow the instructions given. You may be directed to a commercial TV or radio station for further information. Do not hang up until you have heard the entire message or you might miss vital information. Please do not call 911 for further information unless directed to do so or if you need immediate help from the Police, EMS or Fire department.

If your phone line is busy, the system will try two more times to connect. If your line is busy for an extended period and your calls do not forward to voice mail or an answering machine, after three tries, the system will stop calling your number.

Make sure you are aware of important situations in your community by registering your phone number now.