Full Notification

In response to yesterday evening’s multi-jurisdictional public safety response to search for an escaped inmate in our area, I wanted to seize this opportunity to address our current practices involving alerts and mass notifications of criminal activity or potential disasters as they occur in real time. The Windsor Heights Police Department utilizes two primary systems of automated notifications. These systems are Nixle and CodeRED. Both systems are a subscription based service that is free to the end user. The Nixle system sends messages that are specific to this police department’s jurisdiction and will cover operational information ranging from routine safety tips to messages about road detours, construction zones, or press releases that are summations of criminal arrests or high profile cases. This service requires that a staff person of the police department sit at a computer terminal, write the information/press release, and the go through the necessary steps to send a mass SMS message to our subscribers. During incidents such as what occurred yesterday evening, a mass alert sent to the public will NOT be provided through Nixle. Instead, it will be offered through the CodeRED alert system.

CodeRED is an emergency alert system sponsored by the Polk County Emergency Management Commission. This too is a subscriber based service in which individuals must go to a website and register to receive alerts via automated phone call. The primary difference in utilizing this service is that local law enforcement initiates the notification system through our respective public safety dispatch center. In times of disaster or incidents that require an “all hands on deck” approach to the emergency response, CodeRED is the preferred resource to utilize over the Nixle system because it does not require me to pull personnel from the field to go back to the police station to write and send a message that only Windsor Heights subscribers would receive. Instead, incident command staff will notify dispatch of a specific geographic area they wish to send the message to, the dispatcher will then record the alert that offers basic information and instructions, and send it to all area subscribers regardless of jurisdictional boundary at a rate of 1200 phone calls per minute. Primary examples of when this system will be activated are: environmental disasters, search and rescue, active crime alerts, man-made disasters, or serious public works issues.

Registering for both of these systems has been made easy and is available to you at no cost. Go to the Police Department’s website at http://www.windsorheights.org/police-department.aspx and scroll down on the main page. Icons for both systems (Nixle and CodeRED) are available towards the lower right side of the page. Click on the CodeRED icon to be taken to the registration page. From here you will enter your address and the phone numbers you wish to receive notifications at. Be sure to list your home and cell numbers. You may register as many phone numbers to your address as necessary to notify all members of your household.

The CodeRED system was put in place in response to the 2008 floods and has proved to be beneficial throughout the county in many instances over the last several years. I implore you to take five minutes of your day to register for this system now. After you have done so, talk with your neighbors and loved ones throughout Polk County to make sure they have taken similar steps. In times of disaster, public safety responders need your assistance in being an extension of our eyes and ears. Together we can take steps to make sure our community members are informed and aware during future major incidents and work together to bring a safe and effective resolution to the dangerous circumstances before us.

Please do not hesitate to contact my office with questions or concerns.


Dennis W. McDaniel
Windsor Heights Chief of Police
[email protected]