Shelter Island to expand emergency notifications: CodeRed system to end Jan. 1
Results of a flood, a major snow storm, a precipitous drop in temperature, extreme heat, or any other type of emergency demands notifications of services for the public. Shelter Island residents need to be informed about what is happening and how to reach out for assistance.
For several years, the Shelter Island Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Jim Read, who is also the Island’s emergency management coordinator, have used the “CodeRed” system for emergency notifications.
CodeRed is a web-based emergency notification service run by a Florida-based company, Emergency Communications Network. The service contacts residents with important information and directions through multiple platforms, including voicemail, texts, email, social media and a mobile alert app.
But as of Jan 1, 2025, CodeRed will be replaced by “Notify Me,” that has, Chief Read said, “enhanced features designed to support our goal of transparency and community engagement.”
Notify Me is already being used for people who wish to learn about upcoming meetings, receive agendas, backup information on subjects to be discussed and general notifications, such as road closings during storms.
But with CodeRed to cease with the New Year, Notify Me will become the sole means of ensuring residents receive the most updated information during emergencies.
If you are already using Notify Me for governmental actions, be sure to add notifications from its “Alert Center and Emergency Alerts.”
If you have never used the Notify Me system, sign up now at the site available on the front page of the Town website at the bottom where you will find the link to the site.
Although the Notify Me System won’t be operational until Jan. 1, and you may have previously signed up for the Code Red System, it’s vital to sign up as soon as possible for the Notify Me System, Chief Read said, so you will be notified of:
• Ferry delays resulting from severe weather that could affect transportation and access to essential services.
• Flooded roadways limiting access for residents and emergency responders.
• Snow emergencies impacting travel, safety and emergency access.
• Coastal storms or hurricanes — situations in which real time notifications could be life saving.
“In emergencies, every minute matters,” Chief Read said. “By signing up for Notify Me, you ensure you and your family are immediately informed when urgent situations arise.”
Signing up not only helps protect you and your family, but assists emergency management efforts by allowing for more streamlined communication throughout the community, Chief Read added.
