At 3 p.m. June 28 Elbert County Emergency Management initiated a test call on the new CodeRED Reverse notification system.

Test statistics:

11,975 phone numbers called

7931 numbers (or 66%) of numbers called were delivered to a person or answering machine.

Time taken to initiate call, deliver the message, and complete calls to all dialed 11,959 phone numbers was 28 minutes.

The system will attempt to call a phone number up to three times in the first notification.

Any numbers that responded with no answer, or had an operator intercept like ‘this number is no longer in service’, was attempted in a second round of calling.

The second round of calling included 4044 phone numbers. Of those calls, 670 numbers answered. Time taken to complete these calls was 8 minutes.

The final round of calling included 3374 phone numbers. Of those calls, another 185 numbers answered. Time taken to complete calls was 7 minutes.

After the test was completed, over 200 new phone numbers were signed up for the new weather warning system.

The purpose of this test was to test the thresholds of the local telephone company facilities in the event of a mass notification and to offer citizens the free Code RED weather warning service.

The Code Red systems allows for the recipient of the call to replay the message if they answer the phone in person. Also, the caller ID phone number that the call comes in from can be called back to replay the message.

“Elbert County is now able to provide reverse emergency notification and weather warning services to its citizens, just in time for the active severe weather season. We’ve had several phone calls and e-mails saying ‘thank you for the weather warnings’. People also like the idea of knowing what’s happening at their property, when their out of town,’” said, LaRiea Thompson, Emergency management director.