City Urges Citizens to Register for Emergency Notification System

REDLANDS>> September is National Preparedness Month and the City of Redlands is taking the opportunity to encourage residents to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies and to register for the City of Redlands Emergency Notification System. The National Preparedness Month Prepare-A-thon Campaign encourages all citizens to take action, with 10 ways to participate. Redlands residents can take action by registering for the City of Redlands Emergency Notification System. The system was implemented in order to communicate emergency and other urgent messages to residents and other community members, using both text and voice messages in the event of an emergency affecting Redlands. Commonly referred to as “Reverse 911,” the system will automatically call listed and unlisted telephone numbers within the area affected by the emergency and deliver a recorded message. If the phone line is busy, the system will attempt to redial those telephone numbers to make contact. If an answering machine is reached, the emergency message will be left on the machine. Cell phone or Voice over IP (VoIP) phone numbers are not automatically included in the system database. If you wish to be contacted on your cell or VoIP phone, you must register these phone numbers online at http://www.cityofredlands.org/register. Redlands residents can also take action by participating in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.