FLEMINGTON -- Some people in Clinton County may have received a test call from their emergency department Monday morning.
It's part of a new weather warning system. Officials want people to be prepared for a real emergency, and they're asking people to sign up for the new alert system called CodeRED.
From its building in Flemington, Clinton County Emergency Services helped send out the mass notification to about 40,000 people.
Some of those people didn't know what it was.
"So far this morning, we've had roughly 40 to 50 phone calls already, from people asking questions and wanting to know how to sign up," said Bill Frantz, emergency management coordinator.
Carol Saar's son told her about the call.
"He just said something came across the phone for emergencies, and I said, 'OK, I didn't really think nothing of it," said Carol Saar of Lock Haven.
In the future, those calls could be life-saving.
Emergency workers hope to use the CodeRED service as another way to alert people in Clinton County about large scale emergencies.
Emergency management coordinator Bill Frantz tells Newswatch 16 in an emergency, the system that was paid for through county money will send telephone calls, text messages, emails, and posts to social media.
Most people in Clinton County with a landline were automatically added to the service list. But Frantz says those with cell phones will have to sign up online.
"I think it's a very good idea to let us know if we have bad storms coming, so we can be prepared for the bad times when they do come, and they do come," said Paul Moats of Woolrich.
No one should assume they are already in the emergency contact database. Clinton County is encouraging people to sign up online. You can do that by clicking here.