South King County test of emergency notification system a success

April 21, 2010

Summary

Emergency managers from King County and the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila report a relatively smooth test of the CodeRED and MyStateUSA emergency notification systems on Tuesday.

Story

Emergency managers from King County and the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila report a relatively smooth test of the CodeRED and MyStateUSA emergency notification systems on Tuesday.

The test generated over 207,300 calls within a 4½ hour period with few technical glitches. Public response has been very positive:

"Just wanted you to know I got the notification call - thanks so much," stated one caller. "How can I sign up for notifications to be sent to additional personal phones?", asked another.

"The purpose of this computer automated test was to measure our ability to quickly contact residents and businesses within a large geographical area and stress communication systems to identify any weak points," stated King County Office of Emergency Management Director Robin Friedman.

The two notification systems are very similar, using either publicly listed phone numbers (e.g. phonebook) or the E911 database for automated calling. In addition, CodeRED has the capacity for self-registration of cell phones, private lines, text devices and e-mail addresses. The MyStateUSA system may be expanded to include this self-registration option.

Public emergency notifications may be used for major emergencies or disasters where timely and accurate public information is critical to maintaining the safety of citizens.

Residents and business can register for CodeRED or MyStateUSA emergency notifications through their local Office of Emergency Management:

City of Auburn: www.auburnwa.gov (click on "Auburn Alert")

City of Kent: www.kentCodeRED.com

City of Renton: http://rentonwa.gov (click on "CodeRED")

City of Tukwila: http://www.ci.tukwila.wa.us/listserv/hhdam_elist.html

King County (unincorporated areas): call 206-296-3830 or email ecc.kc@kingcounty.gov

Other public alert systems for which everyone in King County can register include:

Regional Public Information Network (www.rpin.org) - for news alerts and warnings in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties

Flood Alert (www.kingcounty.gov/flood) - for river levels and other important information during a flood

King County Road Alerts (https://gismaps.kingcounty.gov/roadalert/) - for road closures and conditions

National Weather Service - NOAA Weather System Radio (www.weather.gov/nwr/) - for official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information