By Brian Livingston / staff writer
The excitement in the voice of Bunky Partridge, director of the Meridian Department of Homeland Security, is evident as he speaks of the expansion of the city's CodeRed warning system.
His optimism in the system's new capability to monitor weather events bearing down on Meridian is in many ways related to how effective the system will be in informing residents on impending rough weather. He knows knowledge is power and whenever you can get valuable information to the populace they will be better prepared.
"In the past the CodeRed system has been focused on emergency situations such as evacuations due to a chemical spill, missing persons within a given area and other events that might impact a section of Meridian," said Partridge. "Now we are expanding that capability to include weather. Weather events such as strong isolated thunderstorms that can pack damaging winds and heavy rain are now a part of the system giving the CodeRed subscriber more information in which to make decisions."
Unlike local emergencies where the bulletins are instigated by local officials, the National Weather Service triggers the weather warning alerts and targets those members inside the area where severe weather is predicted. The advantage to this additional service is that subscribers will be notified of weather issues in addition to other community emergencies.
Bulletins on where the NWS predicts there could be severe weather has improved with advances in technology, specifically doppler radar, to the point where those weather occurrences can be pinpointed much more accurately.
"We can target residents in the northern part of the city, for example, who may be getting severe weather instead of alerting the entire city, parts of which may not be affected," Partridge said.
The disadvantage is that the calls will likely occur more frequently, and could occur in the middle of the night.
"If getting awakened at 3 a.m. to a severe weather alert is not your cup of tea then maybe this service is not for you," Partridge added.
Residents and businesses who want to sign up for the weather warning program must fill out another CodeRed form, even if they already filled out the form to sign up for the CodeRed emergency system. The emergency warning system calls the phone numbers of subscribers in the event of such emergencies as evacuation notices, missing child or adult reports, hazardous spills and other critical problems. The new weather warning will call subscribers in the event of a tornado, flash flood and severe weather warnings.
CodeRed
Anyone already on the CodeRed emergency system who does not wish to add the weather warning system need take no action. They will remain in the original CodeRed alert system.
Those wishing to add the weather warning feature must fill out an additional form, which is available on the City of Meridian web site at www.meridianms.org.
Click on CodeRed on the home page, and you will access the form. Fill out the simple form, including up to two phone numbers. The box indicating your wish to be added to the system has already been check marked for your convenience.
Continue to the second page of the form to complete the process.
For anyone without access to the internet, forms may be picked up at Temporary City Hall, 2412 Seventh St.; the Meridian Activity Center, 3300 32nd Ave.; and the Central Fire Station, 2500 14th St. Completed forms may be returned to the facility from which they were picked up, faxed to (601) 484-6895 or mailed to the Department of Homeland Security at 1180 Sandflat Road, Meridian, MS 39301.
