In efforts to notify residents of its plans to begin aerial spraying for mosquitoes in response to an outbreak of West Nile Virus, the City of University Park will activate its CodeRed Emergency Notification System. Highland Park residents will be notified through the town’s Blackboard Connect emergency system.

Both systems are used infrequently to notify residents of true emergencies, such as aerial spraying to combat the deadly West Nile virus, which has claimed 14 lives in North Texas.

University Park’s CodeRed is used for rapid response to public safety emergencies like floods, chemical spills, gas leaks or bomb threats. It was used last to warn residents of water outages, a city spokesman said.

CodeRed is a high-speed telephone emergency notification service that allows city officials to deliver pre-recorded emergency information messages to residents at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.

Public databases have been used to collect telephone numbers for UP homes and businesses, but residents are urged to register in the case that the databases contain outdated information.  To enroll online, visit University Park’s Community Notification Enrollment page by clicking here.

Residents are required to submit:

         - First and last name

          -Street address (not P.O. box)

          -City, state, zip code; primary phone number

The Town of Highland Park will use its Blackboard Connect service to notify residents of aerial spraying and other West Nile developments.

Through Blackboard Connect, Town officials can send personalized voice messages, text messages and emails to residents and businesses within minutes of the release of information pertaining to emergencies and local community matters.

The service is designed to supplement current communication plans and augment public safety and first responder services.

Residents can learn more about Blackboard Connect or sign up for the notification service online by clicking here.