The Town of Columbus will use the CodeRED Emergency Notification System on Thursday, July 28 to call the entire town and all water and sewer customers.
The calls will begin in the morning at 11 a.m. and will continue until the entire database has been attempted. This call will give town personnel the chance to operate the system as if there had been a community wide emergency.
The message that will be delivered directs recipients to the town website to add additional contact numbers, and also asks that recipients spread the word by mentioning the system to family, friends and neighbors.
Jonathan Kanipe, town manager, said, “All individuals and businesses should take the time to visit our website and add contact information to include cellular phones and other non-traditional phones as well as email and text addresses. If your contact information is not in the database you will not receive a call when an urgent message is sent.”
Businesses should register, in particular, as well as individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, those who have changed their phone number recently and those who use a cellular phone exclusively or have VoIP phones (such as Vonage) as their primary numbers.
Citizens are urged to log onto the town website at www.columbusnc.com and follow the CodeRED link at the top of the page. Those without Internet access may call 828-894-8236 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to register. Required information includes a street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes) for location purposes and a primary phone number. Additional phone numbers, email and text addresses may also be entered.
More information about the CodeRED system is on the website.
If you have any questions, contact the Town of Columbus at 828-894-8236.

– submitted by Town of Columbus