•July 13, 2016•

By Emily Stutzman
For the News Progress

Living in central Illinois, weather conditions such as tornados, flash floods, and thunderstorms are abundant.

In order to maintain public safety, hazardous weather conditions are commonly broadcast on radio and television; however, most of these warnings are general, and cover sizable, generalized areas.

As Moultrie County ESDA coordinator, Jan Haegen, puts it, “That’s too general, and people don’t take heed. It’s like crying wolf.” Addressing the need to reach only the specific groups of people affected by these occurrences, ESDA employs an innovative alert service called CodeRED.

CodeRED is a nationally used warning service that not only warns citizens of weather conditions but can also be used to send out warnings about dangerous situations such chemical spills, fires, and missing person situations, to name only a few.

Haegen recalls implementing the service several years ago, calling it a “worthwhile investment.”      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.