Mayor urges residents to re-register for Code Red emergency alerts

The mayor urged city residents to re-register for the Code Red emergency-alert system after reports that some people did not receive recent notifications.

"If you have not received a call yet from Code Red this season, you need to go re-register," the mayor said. He explained that Code Red messages are sent from computer-generated phone numbers and may not display "City of Gardner" or a local 978 area code, which can cause recipients to miss calls or not receive voicemail.

Officials also warned that some phone spam-blocking features require a caller to press a key to continue; because Code Red is an automated system it does not press a key and those calls can be blocked. The mayor added that phones on airplane mode will not receive calls and that residents should check voicemail if they miss an alert.

Residents who do not receive Code Red calls should re-register on the city's website using the Code Red registration link. Those who need help can call City Hall and staff (identified in the update as Ryan and Rachel) can register or remove numbers for residents who have moved out of the city.

The mayor said the city has reviewed the Code Red system to identify common reasons for missed alerts and encouraged all residents to confirm their contact settings to ensure they receive emergency and weather notifications.