Frequently Asked Questions for CodeRED Emergency Notification System:

What is CodeRED?

The CodeRED Emergency Notification System is a fast communication service allowing the City of Hopkinsville to notify citizens of an emergency situation. It enables the city to provide mass notification quickly and easily. This service is free to all Hopkinsville residents and businesses located within our incorporated limits.

How will I benefit from this service?

This high-speed telephone system will allow the City of Hopkinsville to contact participants to provide information about a critical situation, what action needs to be taken, and notification that the situation has been resolved. 

What do I have to do to receive this benefit?

To receive CodeRED and Weather Warning Calls, you must register your home, cell phone, or business phone number in the CodeRED database. If you would like to join the Weather Warning program make sure to check the Weather Warning Box on the Registration Form before you submit.

How does it work?

CodeRED delivers the important message through a high-speed telephone calling system to a phone number on the CodeRED database. City staff will access CodeRED via a secure portal on the web. A "call area" will be marked identifying street addresses. Telephone numbers will be matched up electronically to these addresses through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). A pre-recorded message will be sent out via the telephone with information about the incident and possibly instructions for action to be taken.

What should I do if I receive a CodeRED message?

* Listen Carefully * Follow Instructions * Don’t hang up until you hear the whole message (the message will not be repeated) * DO NOT call 9-1-1 unless instructed to do so (You will only tie up emergency lines)

What should I do if I don’t receive a message?

Your area of the community may not be affected. In which case, you won’t receive a call even if it’s only a block away.

Will the system work with cell phones?

Yes. But, your cell phone number needs to be associated with your City of Hopkinsville address. We encourage you to register your cell phone number. 

What is CodeRED used for?

CodeRED will be used for significant incidents and events where the timely notification of an affected population or geographic area is essential.

Why did CodeRED call me several times?

If there is no answer and they do not have an answering device, the number will be attempted up to 3 times.

Why did I get a call, but no message played?

If they answer and do not say hello, CodeRED will not begin playing automatically. It is trying to determine if is has reached a live person or answering device. If they do not say anything, it will hang up and retry the number in the next pass of the non connected numbers.

Why did it leave only part of the message on my answering machine?

CodeRED will leave a message on an answering device. There are many different brands and types of capturing devices for leaving a message. Occasionally something about the answering device or the beep of the device causes the system to think it has reached a live person and begins playing the message. When the message is left, it only leaves part of the message. They can call back the 866-419-5000 and receive the entire message. This does not happen often.

Why does my phone ring once and hang up?

It has called me twice and won’t let me answer it. If they have a ring back tone, which plays a song instead of ringing, the system will interpret this as an Operator Intercept and hang up, only to retry the number. They have two options. They can remove the ring back tone or they can contact their cell phone provider and request that the phone number 866-419-5000 for CodeRED bypassed by this feature.

How Do I Register?

The following information is required to add a telephone number into the "CodeRED" database: first and last name; address (physical address, no P.O. boxes); city; state; Zip Code; and primary phone number. A primary phone number is most likely the identified home phone number. An alternate phone number, such as a mobile phone, can also be entered and both the primary and alternate line will be contacted in the event of an emergency. The system works with cellular phones but requires a City of Hopkinsville street address. When entering information, please fill out all of the screens because the newest data entered will replace the old data; this would include the notifications you’d like to receive as well. So, if you’d like to change the weather warnings you are signed up for, you simply resubmit your information through the Community Notification Enrollment page.
For those who are hearing impaired, the sign up form offers a TDD ONLY option for tone delivery of emergency messages. Messages delivered to phone numbers marked TDD will only be delivered in a TDD/TTY format. Residents without Internet access may visit any of the Counties public libraries to use a computer to register or call 270-886-2944.
THIS SYSTEM WILL BE USED FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES OR NOTIFICATION OF INFORMATION CONSIDERED TO BE VITALLY IMPORTANT
Examples of times when the CodeRED system could be utilized: drinking water contamination, utility outage, evacuation notice, missing person, fires or floods, bomb threat, hostage situation, chemical spill or gas leak, and other emergency incidents where rapid and accurate notification is essential for life safety.

Frequently Asked Questions for CodeRED Weather Warning:

What is CodeRED Weather Warning?

CodeRED WEATHER WARNING – A BONUS FEATURE City of Hopkinsville residents can also sign up for CodeRED Weather Warning while signing up for CodeRED. The CodeRED Weather Warning will automatically call citizens when severe weather (tornado, flash flood, and severe thunderstorm) warnings are issued by the National Weather Service for your address. The CodeRED Weather Warning System calls only when warnings are issued and only if your address is in the path of the storm.

What message will I receive from CodeRED Weather Warning?

CodeRED Weather Warning will deliver a pre-recorded alert message directly to your resident’s phones in the projected path of the severe weather. The system automatically sends these notifications without any effort from your staff 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing your residents the needed time to prepare. This becomes even more critical if a tornado comes through your area during the night, when television, radio broadcasts and sirens are ineffective.

How Does CodeRED Weather Warning Work?

CodeRED Weather Warning uses new polygon warning methodologies based on “Storm Based Warnings” direct from the National Weather Service and contacts only those in the affected areas, eliminating many false alarms associated with prior notification methods. CodeRED Weather Warning monitors each NWS bulletin to determine the severity of the warning and the exact area(s) affected coupled with the predicted heading of the threatening storm. CodeRED Weather Warning then creates a calling database of all subscribers within the projected area of the severe weather. This calling database is then immediately submitted to the CodeRED Weather Warning automated calling system. By eliminating the need for human intervention to active warnings we have significantly decreased the response time for fast moving storms.

Is the number for CodeRED Weather Warning the same as the CodeRED Emergency Notifications?

No, the CodeRED Weather Warning number is 800-566-9780. This number has the same call back feature as the CodeRED Emergency Notifications does; so, if you miss a call from this number you may call back the number and retrieve the last incoming message for up to 30 days.