PAW PAW(WKZO) -- Police in Van Buren County now have a new way to communicate important public safety information with citizens, everything from lost children to nuclear accidents.

Sheriff Dale Gribler announced this week the creation of a joint project between his office and Entergy, called "Code Red." He says it's like a reverse 911 system, which will enable central dispatch to alert large numbers of county residents of emergencies by telephone, even focusing on specific neighborhoods.

Sheriff Gribler says that Code Red could be useful in a variety of situations, from gas leaks, to at-large criminals, to missing children and it's free for residents to sign up. To do so, just go to www.VanBurenCountySheriff.com, and click the Code Red button on the left. The Code Red system is being provided for the Sheriff’s Department by Entergy's Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township.