Even though there are no definite plans about the fate of the emergency sirens that have served the county for years, county officials have been surprised with the response from citizens concerned that they might be silenced.
County Commissioner John Ostlund said in discussion, on Monday, that while there is a time in the foreseeable future that the sirens may have to be retired, there is nothing to require it now, nor have the commissioners discussed it. The sirens will continue to operate for the time being.
During the past few weeks county residents have been learning about CodeRed, which enables emergency service officials to contact more people with more information in regard to any emergency situation. Yellowstone County’s Emergency Services Coordinator KC Williams has been speaking to groups and to media explaining how the program works and how citizens can download an app that will allow them to be individually notified in the case of any local emergency including fires, storms, toxic spills or missing persons.
The CodeRed program is not really meant to replace the sirens but to improve the potential to reach more people, more quickly with more information, said Williams. He said that he sees the introduction of CodeRed and a discussion about the sirens as coincidental. “There have been idle conversations about the sirens but no deadlines set,” he said.
For emergency service personnel the goal is to have as many means as possible to notify people of emergencies. So far, said Williams, some 50,000 people in Yellowstone County have registered for CodeRed. “I hope we have every system available,” said Williams, adding that the decision regarding the sirens is up to the county commissioners and must be made by them in regard to issues of cost and how long the aging equipment can be maintained.
As Williams and others have provided information about CodeRed, some people have been confused about the availability of the app. Williams was quick to explain that the program is not just useable with cell phones. People can register land lines or email addresses through which to be notified, as well as cell phones.
The app is totally free and has features that allow the user to expand the level of services and notifications they want to receive.
To register for the service (app) go to http:// www. co. yellowstone .mt.gov / des/
For assistance call the Yellowstone County Emergency Management Information Line at 406 256-2775.
