YCSO reminds public of ‘Code Red’ in light of wildfire season

The "Code Red" system alerts Yavapai County residents of emergencies, giving them time to evacuate. (YCSO/Courtesy)

The "Code Red" system alerts Yavapai County residents of emergencies, giving them time to evacuate. (YCSO/Courtesy)

If all the recent fires popping up all over Arizona remind us of anything, it is that we live in a dry climate that is prone to dangerous wildfires.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office provides residents of Yavapai County with a state-of-the-art Emergency Notification System that may save your life. The system is called “Code Red” and it is free to anyone living in Yavapai County.

“The big thing that we’re trying to push right now is just get everybody we can to sign up for it,” Yavapai Silent Witness Director Chris Wilson said. “That’s the big push we’re trying to do because of how important it is, especially during this time of year when we have these fires that are serious.”

Wilson said that this system can also be used in cases of flood, which usually happen during monsoon season immediately following fire season.

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Smoke rises from the Spur Fire in Bagdad, Arizona, on Thursday, May 27, 2021. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents of the “Code Red” system to help locals evacuate quickly in the event of a wildfire. (YCSO/Courtesy)

This service can send messages to residents and businesses within minutes, with specific information when an emergency or time-sensitive issue arises. By signing up or opting-in, residents may enter alternate phone numbers and/or modes of contact. They may also specify your primary contact mode.

The opt-in process will require a valid email address. A confirmation email and/or text message will be sent upon completion of registration (will be sent from noreply@ycsoaz.gov and may take up to five minutes). Once registered, residents may opt-out at any time.

When delivery of the alert to your primary contact mode fails, the system will automatically fall back to other methods.

With respect to phone notifications, if the system detects an answering machine, it will deliver the message to voicemail. If the phone is not answered and no answering machine is detected, the system will redial the number at a later time or, if specified, fall back to another contact mode.

When the call appears on your caller ID, it will display the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office business number, 928-771-3260. Never reply to the alert emails or text messages, but call the aforementioned number instead.

To participate in Code Red, go to YCSO’s website ycsoaz.gov, and click on the “Emergency Notification System” tab or the “Code Red”signup link on the home page.

“The bottom line is this — we want as much buy-in as we can from the community because it really helps us get them out of harm’s way,” Wilson added.

Aaron Valdez is a reporter for Prescott News Network. Follow him on Twitter at @Valaaron_94. Email avaldez@prescottaz.com or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2031.


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