The Amherst Police Department is pleased to provide you with information regarding two new notification systems available to residents. Code Red emergency notification system will be used in the case of emergencies in Amherst and Mont Vernon. Additionally, the Amherst Police Department has started using Nixle.com as another notification system for news that may not rise to the level of an emergency. Greater detail regarding each of these services is provided below. Neither of the services cost you anything other than whatever costs may be associated with your phone and e-mail providers.
The towns of Amherst and Mont Vernon police, fire and EMS departments, in cooperation with one another, have instituted the CodeRED Emergency Notification System – an ultra high-speed telephone communication service for emergency notifications. The system will allow the emergency service departments to telephone all registered town residents or specifically targeted areas of the town in case of an emergency situation that requires immediate action. The system is capable of dialing 50,000 phone numbers per hour, delivering a recorded message to a live person or an answering machine, making three attempts to connect to landlines and cell phones. Code Red will be used to notify residents in cases such as severe weather, substantial utility outages, evacuation notices, missing or lost persons, fires or floods, major roadway issues, significant criminal situations, chemical spills or gas leaks and other community emergencies. It is important that residents wishing to be a part of the notification system sign up for the service at the Code Red website. The accompanying hyperlink can be used to directly access the Amherst sign-up page. This service is completely separate from the school’s Global Connect system.
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In addition to the Code Red emergency notification system, the Amherst Police Department recently launched a new community notification service called “Nixle.” The police department will be using Nixle to improve non-emergency communication with people who live, work, and visit the Amherst area. The system provides a quick, efficient, and secure way to get neighborhood-level information out to community members who subscribe to the system.
Through www.nixle.com, the Amherst Police Department will be able to send text messages and e-mail alerts to subscribers in a specific area. The service may be used to make notifications to residents regarding things such as crimes of interest to the town, investigations with which the department needs citizen help, a missing Alzheimer’s patient, a serious crash which closes down a roadway or intersection, large-scale public works projects, traffic safety implications around large fire scenes, and community events. Through Nixle, we will deliver messages securely to citizens by e-mail and cell phone, supporting and expanding our community outreach efforts. Obviously, the system will be most effective when we have large numbers of subscribers. Please spread the word about the availability of the system. Nixle is a secure communications service available to municipal, county, and state government agencies. There is no spam or advertising associated with Nixle Municipal Wire messages. The system is free (standard text message rates apply for subscribers who do not have text plans with their cell phone providers).
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