| CodeRED should add weather alerts |
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Posted: Friday, December 11, 2009 10:04 pm
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CodeRED is a great idea, but let’s take it one step further.
The Northfield Police Department is in the process of implementing the digitized calling service that is capable of distributing up to 1,000 text messages or short voice messages a minute to home phones or cell phones in emergency situations.
Chief Mark Taylor said the service should allow the department to quickly notify the community, or even a smaller, more targeted area with emergency broadcasts. The police hope to use it when a child goes missing or there’s a major accident, like last year’s train derailment.
But not when dangerous weather hits.
Each year, southern Minnesota, including Northfield, has several close brushes with dangerous weather events. Utilizing CodeRED when a tornado warning is issued is a perfect example.
But police officials believe severe weather warnings are best handled by other, more qualified agencies and that warnings are covered by existing resources.
We disagree. Anyone who has seen a patrol car weaving its way through neighborhoods with its lights and siren going to warn people to take cover in advance of a tornado knows police are often on the front line of a severe weather event.
And while the outdoor sirens are effective as long as you are outdoors, not everyone has a weather radio or the TV turned on to know when bad weather is approaching.
But everyone has a phone and pays attention when it rings.
The police department has a wonderful, proactive tool now at its disposal. It should use it every time the sirens blow to help keep our community safe.
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