The City of Winkler is considering joining Morden and the R.M of Stanley in the mass notification warning system, CodeRED.

Southern Emergency Response Committee (SERC) Emergency Coordinator Chris Kalansky made the presentation to city council on Tuesday, with the recommendation the system fall under the SERC umbrella in addition to the outdoor early warning sirens.

"I believe it would make sense for all three communities to implement the system," Kalansky says, as SERC is responsible for emergency alerting and preparedness for the nearly 25,000 people in Winkler, Morden and the R.M of Stanley.

The cost of joining the service is $4,300 a year. However, Winkler Councillor Henry Siemens notes the city would like to investigate all options to ensure Code RED is still the best choice.

Morden and the R.M of Stanley implemented the emergency mass text, call and email service last year, while Winkler deferred the decision, waiting on MTS's own plans for a mass notification system.

While it seems MTS has since changed its plan, Kalansky notes they will be looking at other competitors.

"Just to make sure that we're actually getting the best system out there, that the technology is current and up to date, and we're getting the best value for our dollar before we commit to anything in Winkler," Kalansky explains.

However, he notes CodeRED, or a system like it, would be the perfect addition to the outdoor sirens in Morden and Winkler which are only effective at alerting people outside.

"That's where a system like CodeRED would really be a benefit," Kalansky says. "By using a combination of those two methods we would hit a much greater percentage of our population."

CodeRED supplies a database of phone numbers as part of the service.  No one should assume that their phone numbers are automatically included in the database, therefore, all citizens are still encouraged to enroll with CodeRED and enter their contact information via a custom link to receive phone, text and email alerts.  Additionally, residents can download the CodeRED Mobile Alert app to receive push notifications as they travel through CodeRED notification areas, alerting them of geographically relevant events and activities.

Related Article: Officials Address CodeRED Alert Delays During Severe Storm