The Knox County Emergency Management Agency (KCEMA) is a cooperative venture between the City of Galesburg and Knox County to provide emergency management services to the area.
Emergency management services include planning for and response to disasters including but not limited to weather emergencies, hazardous material incidents, accidents involving mass casualties, and other large-scale incidents that would overwhelm the normal emergency response.
The Knox County EMA has developed a relevant guide that will help citizens prepare ahead of time for emergency situations. The idea for this project was brought to EMA Coordinator Randy Hovind’s attention in September. After a lot of planning and modifying, the KCEMA Emergency Preparedness Guide 2023 is now available for our citizens on the City’s website.
“I am very happy to present this guide to our citizens,” said KCEMA Coordinator Hovind. “We hope this will be an invaluable tool that will keep citizens safe. This booklet will be an ever-evolving document as new technology becomes available or changes occur in Knox County.”
Chief Hovind also reminded citizens that earlier this year, the KCEMA started utilizing a high-speed emergency mass notification service called CodeRed by OnSolve, LLC.
The CodeRED system serves as the backbone of Knox County’s emergency planning and communications outreach to both citizens and staff. The system sends telephone calls, text messages, emails, and posts to social media to inform residents to better protect life and property. CodeRED was selected for its reliability and accuracy, as well as the system’s widespread adoption rates across the U.S.
CodeRED has a robust notification system that provides Knox County officials with a reliable, easy-to-use interface to quickly deliver critical information to citizens during emergencies. Staff will use the system to notify residents of any incoming weather emergencies including potentially dangerous winter weather conditions.
Knox County has a database of residential and business telephone numbers; however, all residents living within the Knox County limits are encouraged to visit CodeRED and click on the logo to enroll their contact information including cell phone numbers and email addresses. No one should automatically assume they are in the emergency contact database.
If you need assistance with enrolling, please call the Public Safety Building at 309.343.4181.
***Courtesy of the City of Galesburg***
