Officer Chris Rankin

Public Information Officer

903-798-3187 (office) 903-260-0294 (pager)

903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)

Texarkana Arkansas Police Badge

Re: Code Red Release

The Cities of Texarkana, Bowie County, and Miller County have contracted with Emergency Communications Network, Inc. for its "CodeRED" high-speed telephone emergency notification services. The CodeRED system gives city officials the ability to deliver pre-recorded emergency telephone notification/information messages to targeted areas or the entire city/county at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.

Captain Shawn Vaughn, Commander of the Central and Communications Division of the Texarkana Police, cautioned that such systems are only as good as the telephone database supporting them. "If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called". The CodeRED system not only offers faster calling rates and improved message delivery, it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers directly to the system's telephone database.

Vaughn emphasized that this is an extremely important feature. To ensure no one is omitted, Vaughn urges all individuals and businesses to log onto the City of Texarkana’s website, WWW.TXKUSA.ORG, and follow the link to the "CodeRED Residential and Business Data Collection" page. Those without Internet access may call Central Records and Communications (903-798-3181) to give their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code, and primary phone number, additional phone numbers (optional).

No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included, Vaughn said. All businesses should register, as well as all individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address within the last year, and who use a cellular phone as their primary home phone.

Vaughn explained that street addresses are needed to select which phone numbers will receive emergency notification calls in any given situation. The system works fine for cell phones too, but we have to have a street address". People who have recently moved but kept the same listed or unlisted phone number also need to change their address in the database.

Vaughn stated, "CodeRED gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for doing so. The information will only be used for emergency notification purposes". Questions should be directed to Vaughn’s office at 903-798-3174.

Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.