Register for Beachwood's New Emergency Notification System

Beachwood is using a new method of disseminating important messages and emergencies to its residents.

Police Chief Mark Sechrist announced Monday that the city would be using CodeRed, a high-speed notification technology that leverages the city's database to send out mass messages and emergency updates when appropriate. CodeRED replaces reverse 911.

The city is encouraging residents and businesses to verify and/or update the city's database with their current information.

Click here to register for CodeRED

"As many phone numbers as you want, cell phones, email addresses, text (messages) — it just takes advantage of all the modern communication systems we have," the chief said. "It's very user-friendly."

Residents who have listed phone numbers will automatically be registered in the system, but people can add other contacts, including cell phones. The city especially wants those with unlisted numbers or only cell phones to enter their information.

The system is based on addresses, so that if an emergency occurs that is only relevant to certain segment of Beachwood, only those residents would be notified, Sechrist said.

Sechrist said it used to take the police department months to update the database for reverse 911.

"It's really incumbent upon residents and the business community (to register)," Sechrist said. "As long as there's a Beachwood address, you can go in there and put cell phones or whatever you want."