Jefferson County 911 Dispatch will change its emergency notification platform from CodeRED to Everbridge in the coming months, agency officials recently announced.
The switch to Everbridge takes effect in October, but Jefferson County residents may register for Everbridge now, 911 Dispatch Chief Travis Williams said Aug. 24.
To sign up for Everbridge, local residents may use a QR code available on the 911 Dispatch agency’s social media pages. Residents also may go to 911’s website at jeffco911.org and click on the Everbridge Emergency Notifications link.
Williams said agency leaders felt Everbridge offers better services than CodeRED.
“We were at the end of our contract with CodeRED,” Williams said Aug. 24. “We’ve been with CodeRED since 2009. We looked at three or four companies, including CodeRed and Everbridge, and Everbridge had more to offer, as far as ease of use. They were not the low bid, but the best bid.”
He said the 911 board agreed over the summer to switch to the Everbridge emergency alert system and will pay the company $68,000 per year for the service.
Shawn Legens of 911 Dispatch said Everbridge works basically the same as CodeRED.
People who sign up for the service will receive automated weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
“Other (alerts) include missing persons, police activity and utility notifications.
“This will be available to all county residents in unincorporated areas, as well as every municipality within the county.”
Williams stressed that the emergency notification platform is a separate service from the calls people make to 911 for emergencies.
“They still call 911 for emergencies,” he said. “It’s just a replacement for CodeRED for weather and other notifications. We can also use it for notifications of missing children, missing older adults or shelter in place notifications, things like that.”
Williams said those who need help registering for the Everbridge service may call the 911 Dispatch business line at 636-797-9797, ext. 107.
“We will walk them through the process,” Williams said.