What It Means When Police in Maine Activate CodeRED

In April of 2023, as a pair of horrific events unfolded in real time in Maine, police departments throughout Cumberland County got together to plan the best course of action. When police were alerted to three people being shot while traveling along Interstate 295 in Yarmouth, they made the decision to send out a CodeRED. But what is that exactly?

CodeRED Allows Police to Send Alerts to Emergencies and Dangerous Situations

For many people back in April, they received a sudden and startling alert to "shelter in place". That came from a CodeRED authorized message. At the time of the shooting on I-295, police were still gathering all the information and wanted to keep the public as safe as possible. They determined the situation warranted use of the CodeRED system, which allows direct messaging to via landline, cell phone, text, and email to individuals in a designated area.

How Does CodeRed Have My Contact Information?

As explained by the Yarmouth Police Department, CodeRed is a partnership with Cumberland County police departments and Emergency Communications Network Inc. All contact information is obtained through public sources (ex: if you own a home or business in a given town), then put into a database, which is accessed when a CodeRED alert is sent out. For those who may be worried they are not part of the database, there's a signup form you can fill out.

What Kinds of Situations Would I Receive CodeRED Alerts About?

The CodeRED alert system is only meant for significant situations. If you're part of the database, you could receive alerts about boil water notices, missing children, natural disaster threats, or even bio-terrorism alerts.