Itasca expands emergency alerts to texts, e-mails

When emergencies pop up in Itasca, residents now have more options to help them stay in the loop.

This month, the village updated its CodeRed alert service to include e-mail and text message notifications. The service, which has been active in Itasca for almost two years, formerly only notified residents through automated calls. Now, up to 60,000 automated calls, texts or e-mails can be sent per hour.

"We recognize we live in the electronic age and people aren't necessarily tethered to their home phones," police Chief Scott Heher said. "A lot of people have even given up their land lines and many people now have smart phones that do (Internet, texts and calls)."

Heher said Itasca started looking into expanding the service to texts and e-mails after some residents missed out on emergency phone alerts while out of town.

"A few years ago we had a problem with local flooding, and a man got the alert on his home phone. But he was in Wisconsin," Heher said. "If there was another way to notify him, he could have made arrangements with people to help."

Only residents who opt to join the database will be alerted during an emergency. And notifications are based on geography. So if water service will be shut off in part of Itasca, for example, only affected residents will be notified.

Individuals and businesses can add their own phone information directly at itasca.com. Follow the link to the "CodeRed Residential and Business Data Collection" page. Those without Internet access may call police records clerk Chris Bennett at (630) 228-5713, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays to provide their information over the phone.

Required information includes first and last name, street address (no P.O. boxes), city, state, ZIP code, and primary phone number and optional additional phone numbers.