Cooke County — During Monday’s regular commissioners’ court meeting, Cooke County officials issued a reminder about today’s scheduled usage of the CodeRED emergency phone notification system.

The usage is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. today. This call will give Cooke County personnel the chance to operate the system as if there has been a community-wide disaster. The message that is being delivered directs recipients to the Cooke County website to add additional contact numbers, and it also asks that recipients spread the word by mentioning the system to family, friends and neighbors so that they can register their own phone numbers into the database.

Emergency Manager Ray Fletcher explained Monday that the process is primarily intended to test the current list of phone numbers programmed into the current CodeRED  list.

As originally reported on Feb. 18, calls will be made at 9:30 a.m. and will continue until the entire database has been attempted.

On Feb. 18, Fletcher added that in particular, businesses should register, as well as individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, people who have changed their phone number recently, and those who use a cellular phone exclusively or have VoIP phones (such as Vonage) as their primary numbers.  

“We use the CodeRed system to notify residents in affected areas of emergency situations such as a hazmat or gas leak, missing person, immediate wildfire and flood danger, as well as any other incident that may require emergency warning,” Fletcher said.

More information about the CodeRED system is on the county website and any questions should be directed to the Cooke County Emergency Management Office at (940) 668-5400.

Other meeting highlights:

• Commissioners approved a proclamation declaring March 2013 as American Red Cross Month. County Judge John Roane read a special statement in tribute to the rescue organization and presented it to Red Cross associate Bill Cox.

• Commissioners approved a contract with Cooke County and Corbet Group, Inc. for the construction of the new Emergency Medical Services facility. -

• Commissioners approved a contract between Cooke County Road and Bridge Pct. 2 and Bates & Martin Architects LLC.

• Commissioners gave approval to EMS Director Kevin Grant to park the county disaster trailer at the southwest side of the Cooke County Library parking lot.

• Commissioners approved these consent agenda items: budget amendments and monthly bills; payroll and all related expenses; out-of-state travel expenses for Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Coberley and Tyler Roy so that they may attend a regional counter drug training academy in Meridian, Miss., on 3-17-13 through 3-22-13; an annual maintenance agreement with Dustin Office Machines for the district clerk’s copier; filing of quarterly internal audits for the county attorney, treasurer, EMS and environmental health offices; acceptance of donated services from Jim Sizelove to repair ramp located at the south end of the courthouse; the racial profiling report from Chris Watson, constable Precinct 1; appointment of Chuck Owen as deputy constable for Precinct 4; a bond for Chuck Owen, deputy constable Pct. 4; surplus or salvage of 16 in-car camera systems removed from the Cooke County Sheriff’s Office patrol cars; surplus of seven Kenwood UHF handheld radios, six Motorola handheld radios, 12 Bendix King handheld radios and cases, a GE Master UHF radio and 14 Motorola key note pagers from the Cooke County Sheriff’s Office; and the Texas Department of Public Safety 2010 Homeland Security Grant adjustment.