MONROE, Conn. — Many residents received a voice message from a new alert system before last Friday’s snowstorm, reminding them to contact utility companies for issues such as power outages, while using 911 strictly for emergencies handled by police, firefighters and the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.
Town officials recently made the switch from CodeRED to the Everbridge notification system, which can deliver alerts through recorded phone messages, texts and emails.
“The sudden, unforeseen circumstances created by a CodeRED cyberattack crippled the system,” First Selectman Terry Rooney explained. “Police Chief Keith White, who is in charge of emergency management, contacted my office immediately and took the lead, seeking options for the coverage our residents need.”
White said Everbridge agreed to credit the town for the remainder of time left on its CodeRED system contract, which expires on June 30 of 2026, before negotiating a new agreement.
“We sent a termination record to CodeRED and transferred over to Everbridge at a much reduced annual cost,” White said.
White said Monroe’s contact list was lost in the cyberattack, so the data could not be recovered and transferred to Everbridge’s system. As a result, residents with CodeRED accounts will still have to sign up for Everbridge.
“We’re just encouraging people and their families to sign up,” Rooney said.
Those who do not have internet access at home can sign up using computers at the Monroe Senior Center and the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, according to Rooney.
By opting in on their own, White said residents have the ability to opt out whenever they want to.
To sign up on the town’s website, click on this link. White said registration takes approximately five minutes.
“The rollout has been successful with hundreds of people signing up within the first few days,” he said.
The Everbridge system enables residents to receive time-sensitive messages about severe weather alerts, hazardous environmental issues, and potentially dangerous events in progress.
In addition to emergency alerts, Everbridge will provide important updates to businesses and residents about power outages, street closures, and ongoing utility issues.
Residents can choose from multiple methods to receive these updates, including phone calls, texts and emails. Messages will be sent to your preferred method of communication in order of priority to make sure you receive the critical information you need.
The cyberattack
The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) reached out to Police Chief Keith White in late November, because Monroe was the last town in Region 1 still using the CodeRED system. The department informed him of a data breach saying the system may not be functioning.
“I contacted CodeRED and verified that was true,” White said. “We were unable to use the CodeRED system and all of our data was erased.”
White said the state of Connecticut granted him permission to use its system if Monroe had to do notifications.
“We always had something,” he said. “It had to be a true emergency.”
After CodeRED verified there was a problem, it worked to rebuild Monroe’s subscriber list, according to White.
“They contacted me and said our system was back up again, but when I went to use it, the only name listed was me,” he said.
“I reached out to the regional Everbridge contact and arranged for our IT director, Paul Koorse, and me to speak with them,” White said. “They were already well known and used throughout Connecticut and specifically Region 1, which encompasses Monroe.”
White said most Connecticut municipalities and the state of Connecticut have already been using Everbridge, adding it is a more updated system that is user-friendly.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
Tried to relist but ID and/or Password not correct. Tried to reset ID by entering email address. Got invalid email. Link did not give customer service contact info.
The problems that I previously reported have been resolved. Thanks Bill. I was able to get set up again. And the process was very quick. But I wish they could restore the land line notification option for those who don’t have cell phones or those who’s cell phone is not working during an alert.
I clicked on the link to sign up, but Everbridge wants me to create an account including name and address, on top of the contact information of email address and phone number. While I appreciate First Selectman Rooney and Chief White making the switch in providers at a reduced cost, there’s no good reason why Everbridge needs any information other then the email address or phone number we want to receive emergency notifications to. The sign up page is already linked to the town, so their system should automatically link the contact information to Monroe’s emergency notifications. The only logical reason I see for them asking for any personal identification information other than email address or phone number, is to create a database that they can sell for a profit.
No thank you.