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How to Receive Emergency Alerts

Written by Shawna

Santa Cruz County uses a tool called CodeRED to alert residents in the event of emergency situations or critical community alerts. According to Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1, examples of notifications can include:

  • Emergency evacuations (including wildfires and flooding)
  • Missing person alerts
  • Severe weather alerts
  • Emergency police activity

Setting up CodeRED and CodeRED Mobile Alert

While their website will walk you through how to sign up and download the mobile app, there are some additional helpful steps you can take to ensure you get emergency notifications in a timely manner. Here’s the step-by-step walk-through:

  • Make an account with CodeRED. Once you have an account, be sure to add your location, mobile number, and email address.
  • Download the CodeRED VCard to add the alert phone numbers to your contacts. This will give you the ability to see that it is CodeRED calling, and enable notifications if your phone is in “Do Not Disturb” mode or (in some cases) silenced.
  • Enable emergency notifications for CodeRED
  • Download the “CodeRED Mobile Alert” phone app
  • Open the app and sign up (yes, again, it’s annoying…) using the same CodeRED account information you set up in the first step.
    • If you are prompted to enable location, be sure to allow the app access to your location all the time. This will allow it to send you messages wherever you are at any time.
  • Follow the in-app onboarding tutorial to set up the:
    • Type of alerts you want to receive,
    • The sound your phone will make when an alert is sent to you, and
    • Your personal “warning radius,” which is how far out from your current location that you will be notified of any emergency notifications.

Bonus round! Other helpful emergency resources

In addition to setting up CodeRED, there are several other emergency notification apps and services you can sign up for. Here are a few I recommend!

  • CALFire text alerts: Receive text message notifications related to fire in your zip code.
  • PulsePoint Respond: “A 911-connected mobile app that can immediately inform you of emergencies occurring in your community and can request your help when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is needed nearby if you’re trained in CPR.”
  • First Aid: American Red Cross: “Accidents happen. The official American Red Cross First Aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in your hand.”

I hope this walk-through can help you and your family stay informed as early as possible when emergencies happen around you.

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