Isabella County using CodeRED to alert residents of string of armed robberies
Most Isabella County residents can now receive messages from the county alerting them of emergencies.
CodeRED is an emergency notification system that aims to keep residents up-to-date on evacuation notices, missing children, weather alerts and other emergency situations, said Isabella County Central Dispatch and Emergency Management Director Marc Griffis.
The system has been utilized to alert residents of the five reported armed robberies in three days that struck Mount Pleasant businesses earlier this week.
“I hope people don’t get tired of it,” Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said. “It’s a good way to keep the public informed.”
Griffis said the first activation of CodeRED in Isabella County was used Saturday to alert residents after 19-year-old Shepherd man Juan Romero III went missing from his group home Friday. CodeRED was initially scheduled to be announced March 13, he said.
Mioduszewski said the system is a useful way to let residents know if there is something to watch out for.
“Using the CodeRED system, Isabella County Central Dispatch was able to notify approximately 5,000 Isabella County citizens in 12 minutes,” he said.
Through a contract with CodeRED and 49-percent funding from local municipalities, Isabella County will pay 51 percent and administer an emergency telephone messaging system to notify citizens of urgent matters.
“I think the public really wants to be notified,” he said. “They look forward to getting them if something is happening in their area.”
Mioduszewski said he determines what criminal information is released to the public, which could include incidents involving escaped prisoners, armed robberies, break-ins and more.
“We’ll utilize that any chance we get for just about any type of emergency,” he said.
Additional emergency information sent to the public is determined by law enforcement officials or the National Weather Service.
Those with a landline will automatically receive a phone call, but those who don’t have a landline can sign up online to receive messages.
By going to the Isabella County website, residents throughout the county except Vernon Township can sign up by entering a telephone number or email address.
Those who sign up will receive emergency notifications. From there, they can customize the alerts if they wish to receive general notifications or severe weather warnings, such as tornados, severe thunderstorms and flash floods, as well.
However, if residents do not wish to use the emergency alert service, they may fill out a form to opt out of the program, which is also available on the Isabella County website.
