DOVER – The National Association of Government Web Professionals (NAGW) recently presented a Members’ Choice Pinnacle Award to DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation for the Delaware State Parks website at destateparks.com. NAGW Secretary and East Region Director, Barbara Belli, made the announcement during the organization’s 2019 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Government websites have progressed dramatically since the first Pinnacle Awards were presented in 2006. Thanks to the talented teams in the government web profession, including the teams represented by this year’s entries, our websites have grown from information portals to become the first point of service for our constituents and the windows to our organizations,” said Ms. Belli, who also serves NAGW as Pinnacle Awards Chair.

The NAGW membership, which comprises government web professionals from local, county, state, and federal government throughout the United States, voted on the Members’ Choice Awards from among entries for cities, counties, state and federal agencies, microsites, and sites demonstrating special features. The Delaware State Parks website won in the State/Federal category.

The website was recognized for its organization, informative content, and the wide variety of information it presents, as well as for the small size of its web team. Peer review judges noted the site was “easy to navigate and informative, as well as visually appealing”. The NAGW award committee commended Delaware State Parks staff Chris Polo, Chief of Creative Services, and Jennifer Bradford, web developer, for the “immense amount of time, resources, and attention” they had put into creating an expansive and highly functional site.

Delaware’s approval allows FirstNet to move forward with plan to build communications network for emergency personnel

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney signed a letter on Friday opting into a federal First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) plan to build a wireless broadband network intended to improve communications for first responders across the State of Delaware.

The FirstNet plan would allow Delaware police agencies, fire and EMS responders to communicate more effectively by prioritizing their cellular phone calls and data requests on the network. Governor Carney’s decision to opt-in allows FirstNet to move forward in building out a broadband network that, if implemented, would allow for efficient communications among emergency responders.

“Our first responders need access to state-of-the-art technology to communicate and respond effectively during emergency situations,” said Governor Carney. “This is only a first step, but this plan has real potential to prioritize communications among law enforcement agencies, fire and EMS personnel, and help our first responders protect the lives of Delawareans across our state.”

“During a critical incident or disaster, cellular communications are of paramount importance to our first responders,” said Robert Coupe, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “We are excited by the opportunity presented by this FirstNet plan, which would ensure that first responders have the priority access they need to deliver emergency services to the citizens of Delaware.”

“In addition to the potential benefits opting in to FirstNet can provide to our public safety personnel, this decision also helps us to advance our priority of expanding broadband options in rural, underserved areas of our state,” said James Collins, Chief Information Officer at the Delaware Department of Technology and Information.

FirstNet is an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Authorized by Congress in 2012, its mission is to develop, build and operate the first nationwide, high-speed, broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. FirstNet will build, operate and maintain a secure wireless broadband communications network at no cost to the state.

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(Smyrna) – In an effort to update and improve the statewide Delaware Emergency Notification System (DENS), the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) has contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution.  The CodeRED system provides officials in Delaware with the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas of the state,  and will enhance the ability of DEMA to issue DENS notifications quickly and accurately.

The DENS system will be used for messages regarding the safety, property or welfare of the community, and may include AMBER Alerts™, notifications of hazardous traffic or road conditions, boil water advisories or evacuation notices.  CodeRED allows for geographically-based delivery of DENS warnings, thus, street addresses are required to ensure that the proper people receive emergency notification calls in a given situation.  While the system also works with cell phones, street addresses ensure that relevant messages are delivered.  DENS/CodeRED emergency messages will have a Caller ID of 866-419-5000, while general CodeRED messages will have 855-969-4636 as the Caller ID.  It is suggested that individuals and businesses that register should program both numbers into cell phones as “new contacts” using “CodeRED Emergency” and “CodeRED General” as the contact name.  That allows a person to replay the notification message, by dialing the number to hear it again.  CodeRED will leave messages on answering machines or voice mail.  If the line is busy, the system will attempt two more contacts.

CodeRED provides individuals and businesses that want to be included in emergency notifications with an easy and secure method to input information.  While the CodeRED database contains information from public databases, Delaware Emergency Management Agency Director Jamie Turner cautioned that the CodeRED system is only as good as the telephone database supporting it.  “If your telephone number is not in the database,” warns Turner, “your number will not be called.  No one should assume that their number is in the system, so everyone is encouraged to register online or by phone.”

One of the reasons the CodeRED system was selected for the DENS notifications is that it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own telephone numbers directly into the system database.  Individuals and businesses should log into DEMA’s homepage at http://dema.delaware.gov and click on the link to the “Delaware Emergency Notification System/CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment” page.

Residents who wish to enroll but do not have internet access may do so by calling 877-SAY-DEMA (877-729-3362). to supply their information over the telephone. Telephone registration is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM.  Information that is required information first and last name, street address (no P.O. box), city or town, state, and Zip Code.  Both primary phone numbers and additional telephone numbers (such as cell phones) can be registered into the system.  Individuals and businesses with unlisted telephone numbers, who have changed either phone numbers or addresses within the past year, or who use a cellular telephone or VoIP phone as their primary number, should enroll.

Director Turner stresses that all data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes.  No information will be sold, traded, leased, or loaned to any third parties.

CodeRED is a service of Emergency Communications Network of Ormond Beach, Florida. Additional information on the DENS/CodeRED emergency notification system can be obtained by calling 877-SAY-DEMA (877-729-3362). during regular business hours.