Frequently Asked Questions

What YOU should know about CodeRED® Emergency Notification System

Question: What is CodeRED® and why is it important to me?

Answer: CodeRED® is a new Kane County service by which County and municipal officials can notify local residents and businesses by telephone about emergency situations or critical community alerts. The system is capable of sending messages only to people affected by a particular situation, or, in the case of a widespread emergency like a tornado, to the County’s entire population.

The speed of the CodeRED® system (up to 50,000 calls per hour) is so great that the County is able to send a message to affected households almost as quickly as County officials become aware of the situation.

Question: Does this mean the County will be calling me constantly?

Answer: No. Kane County respects your privacy. CodeRED® will be used only when situations arise that you should know about.

The system will be used to send messages only to those residents who are directly affected by a particular emergency or disaster. CodeRED® will call only you and your neighbors to deliver that very important health advisory. If there is a county or regional emergency such as a tornado, all Kane County residents could be called and kept up to date on developments.

Question: For what kinds of situations will CodeRED® be used?

Answer: Amber alerts concerning a missing child or adult, law enforcement emergencies, sexual offender/predator alerts, hazardous material spills are examples of the types of situations that residents/businesses could be notified of..

Question: Why do I need CodeRED® when I have radio and TV to keep me informed?

Answer: CodeRED® is an additional measure of safety the Kane County Board believes all of our residents need and deserve. If power goes out, you may not be able to depend upon radio and TV. However, because telephone lines are self powered, the County can continue to keep you informed through messages delivered by CodeRED®.

Even if you have power, CodeRED® will probably be able to reach you with important information faster than TV and radio stations can put it on the air. That’s because CodeRED® is a direct connection between you and Kane County officials.

And unlike some severe weather events, many emergencies occur without advance warning. In such cases, you may have no reason to turn on a TV or radio. That’s when CodeRED® can help County officials alert you immediately and advise you to take appropriate action.

Question: I have a cordless phone, and it does not work when the power goes out. How is the County going to be able to contact me?

Answer: There are two ways you can continue to receive telephone messages from the County through CodeRED®:

1. Make sure you have at least one working corded telephone and ensure the ringer is turned on.
2. The CodeRED® “Residential Data Collection” signup form gives you the option of filling in both a Primary Phone number and an alternate phone number. You can fill in the Alternate Phone number blank with your cell telephone number, or you can make it your Primary Phone number if you wish.

Entering an alternate phone number will cause BOTH your primary and alternate phone numbers to be called. Of course, no form of communication is guaranteed to remain in operation under severe conditions. CodeRED® does widen the safety margin by offering County residents another new and powerful means of learning about vital.

Question: Will CodeRED® leave a message on a machine?

Answer: Yes. CodeRED® will leave a message on a machine or on voice mail. Depending on the time of day, calls may go to answering machines. Part of the CodeRED® solution is the patented ability to recognize answering devices and leave the message completely in one pass.

Question: What happens if the line is busy?

Answer: If the line is busy, CodeRED® tries it again after cycling through the calls. Until it delivers a message to either a person or answering device it will try three times with the exception of a 'no answer' which it tries once.

Question: Do I have to pay extra for CodeRED® service?

Answer: No. CodeRED® is entirely paid for by Kane County.

Question: Does the County have my telephone number, or do I have to sign up to receive CodeRED® emergency calls?

Answer: We strongly encourage you to sign up for CodeRED®. After all, you are the most reliable source of information about how to reach your household by phone.

If you have moved or changed your telephone number recently, you should definitely sign up for CodeRED® service or update information you have already provided. Any new information you supply will automatically replace old information.

Question: How do I sign up for CodeRED®?

Answer: The home page of the Office of Emergency Management, www.kcoem.org, has a link to both the CodeRED® Residential Data Collection Form as well as the CodeRED® Business Data Collection Form, which is completed online. This is the quickest, easiest way to sign up because the information you supply will immediately update the County's CodeRED® telephone number database.

If you do not have access to the Internet, you can call the Office of Emergency Management at 630-232-5985 and give your information directly to them.

Question: Can I arrange to have CodeRED® call my place of business?

Answer: Yes. Go to the Office of Emergency Management’s website at www.kcoem.org and click on the CodeRED® link. When the Residential Data Collection form opens, click on the button labeled “Click to Switch to Business Data” and fill in the required information.

Please note that emergency calls can only be delivered to a direct dial number. Automated attendants will disrupt the process and calls will not be delivered.

If you have any further questions about CodeRED®, please call the Kane County Office of Emergency Management at 630-232-5985.