Keeping Our Community Informed: Emergency Alerts
When a disaster or emergency occurs, notifying those who are in harm’s way is of the utmost priority.
How can you get alerted of an Emergency situation?
Benton County and Franklin County both have an emergency alert system called CodeRED.
CodeRED a high-speed mass notification system designed to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. This system allows Benton County Emergency Management and Franklin County Emergency Management to deliver emergency messages to you via phone to your landline or mobile device, as well as through text and email. The CodeRED system is geographically based, alerting only residents in the affected area.
The CodeRED emergency notification system is for Benton and Franklin County residents to receive information and directions during an emergency/disaster.
When signing up, you can choose how to be notified, including by:
Privacy of your contact information is extremely important. When signing up, your information will not be shared or sold to any vendor or other organizations. The contact information you provide will be used for emergency purposes only.
When are CodeRED Emergency Alerts used?
Benton and Franklin counties use CodeRED alerts for a variety of emergency situations including:
- Fires
- Evacuation and Shelter Notices
- Floods
- Gas Leaks
We recently checked in with Deanna Davis, the Director at Benton County Emergency Management, to learn more about situations where they have issued alerts. According to Davis, “in 2023 Benton County used CodeRED 6 times to alert residents of fires in their area.” When alerts are issued, they contain essential information to the affected residents. Davis explained, “these activations were targeted to specific geographic areas and provided important information on evacuations, shelter locations and when it was safe to return.” CodeRED alerts are the quickest way that community members can receive this lifesaving information.
However, you cannot receive the notifications if you don’t sign up. As Davis said, “If we can’t reach you, we can’t alert you.”
Picture of fire near Benton City in 2018. (Tri-City Herald)
Sign up today!
The only way to ensure that you and your family receive emergency alerts is to complete the free and easy registration steps below.
- For Benton County residents, scan the QR code below, visit www.bces.wa.gov, or text BCEM to 99411.
For Franklin County residents, scan the QR code below, visit www.franklinem.org, or text FCEM to 99411
- Click on the CodeRED icon.
- Complete the instructions.
For those who may live in one county and work in the other, you can create additional accounts for more address (i.e. work addresses, etc.)
For more information, please contact Benton County Emergency Management at (509) 628-2600, or Franklin County Emergency Management at (509) 545-354.
