INDEPENDENCE, Ky. — Kenton County is encouraging residents to use an emergency alert system after it recently helped locate a missing child.
CodeRED is a free system that delivers automated messages about emergencies, including fires, floods, Amber Alerts, shelter-in-place alerts, boil water advisories and evacuations.
The Independence Police Department credits the system with helping keep authorities and residents informed during a search for a missing 3-year-old girl.
RELATED | Police: 3-year-old reported missing found safe in Independence
Hundreds of people searched for the girl, who went missing from her home around 7 p.m. Aug. 23. The girl was found safe in a neighbor's yard within several hours of going missing.
"I've got a 6-year-old girl, this means a lot to see this many people come out and I live right around the corner," said Seth Chandler, who helped search for the girl that night. "I'm just glad she's safe, it wasn't a big deal, and everybody can go to bed."
During the search, CodeRED was used to deliver messages to residents instructing them to search for the young girl around their properties.
"It alerted the community, and we had a tremendous outreach from the citizens to come help look for her," said Captain Mike Brock.
Brock said the community support was "unreal," and he credits the turnout to help find the child to the app.
"It got really big, really fast, and that is what people are looking for you, you know," said Tiffani Carter, the girl's mother. "Facebook is kind of informal, so just having something like that is like a formal hello, we really need to draw your attention to this kind of thing."
Kenton County residents can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Those who get the app are encouraged to input their contact information to receive messages via text, phone or email about emergencies in the area.
