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PETERSBURG, ALASKA <br />
The &ldquo;Code Red&rdquo; system is marketed by the Emergency Communications Network, a Florida-based company. It&rsquo;s called a reverse-911 system, because public-safety agencies use it to phone homes and businesses, rather than the other way around. The system can be programmed to call small groups, such as Petersburg Medical Center staff or residents of a particular neighborhood. <br />
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Liz Bacom of the medical center told the city council about the system at this week&rsquo;s meeting. She said the recent tsunami warning created interest.<br />
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&quot;I&rsquo;ve been looking at this because I wanted to try to figure out a way to efficiently call in staff if the hospital had an emergency and needed a large number of staff to respond. And dealing with telephone trees is cumbersome. It ties up valuable resources when staff could be preparing for a situation. Instead they&rsquo;re making phone calls trying to get people to come in.&quot;<br />
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The estimated annual cost is about $3,500. Municipal staff and council members said that could be shared by several departments and agencies.<br />
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Bacom, who serves on the local emergency preparedness committee, says the system could have many uses.<br />
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&quot;If the road was closed by a mudslide, then you could target just people who live along the narrows. And you could let them know the road is out, crews are working on it and we&rsquo;d give them another call when the roads are passable.&quot;<br />
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Recorded calls would be voiced by city or agency staff. Announcements could be sent via phone, text message, email or social-networking websites.
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