If you go to the town of Fairfield’s CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment page (http://www.fairfieldct.org/codered) it clearly states” The Town of Fairfield has contracted with Emergency Communications Network (ECN) to license a new and improved high-speed notification system, CodeRED, which replaces Reverse 911 and provides Fairfield officials with the ability to quickly deliver phone messages to targeted areas or to the entire Town in emergency situations”.

Yesterday, I received on my personal phone and business phone a “Attention!  Please hold for an important message” and then it proceeded to inform me of repaving on certain streets.  I also received texts on both phones from the EMERGENCY Communications Network from the same network.

With yesterday’s messages not being an emergency, I reached out to First Selectman Mike Tetreau who replied: “We use Code Red for two reasons: 1. Major Emergency Situations and 2. Major Convenience issues.  Major Emergency situations like Storms are generally townwide calls. We do use Code Red to also target a neighborhood when we are paving a street so residents know that their schedule may be interrupted by road closures or to reschedule contractors coming to their home.  These calls only go to a small targeted area.  Based on feedback, residents have been very appreciative of these communication efforts”.

Do you think using the Emergency Communications Network for non-emergency calls the right thing to do or is the first selectman correct in using  it for “major convenience” issues?