Town of Reading Notification System Important Update

The following was submitted by the Reading Police Department:

The Town of Reading maintains a mass notification system to keep residents informed of emergency and non-emergency events.  We were informed this week that all Comcast telephone customer home phone numbers have been removed from the system by Comcast. It is uncertain if, how or when these numbers will be restored to our system. Therefore, if you have a Comcast phone # and do NOT opt-in to the Reading Community Alerts system, you will no longer receive Town Emergency information.

We strongly encourage all residents of Reading, especially Comcast phone customers, to add their contact information to our database. To do so, go to the town's website and click on the red RCA Reading Community Alerts link, near the center of the page.

You will need an email address to create an account and then you can add home phone, cell phone, text message, and email addresses to your account.  When the Town sends a message, you will be reached in any or all of these ways – you can even choose the priority order to receive messages. 

When you do so, remember to add at least one Reading address that is important to you.  For example,  your home address, work place, town hall, child’s school, etc. You can add up to five.  If you don’t live in town, use Town Hall, 16 Union Street, Reading MA 01867.  The addresses are used when we send messages to certain neighborhoods or locations.

This entire database is secure and is not used in any way for 3^rd party marketing. The town and our service provider will NEVER solicit you for payment or passwords in relation to this system. You maintain your own contact information.

Comcast customers who have already opted-in to RCA do NOT have to again.  Only those Comcast customers who are NOT opted-in should do so to ensure communications to you are maintained.  Non Comcast customers are also encouraged to opt-in and take advantage of all the features of the system, however, your home phone number is automatically in the system for emergency notifications.

Questions about this can be directed to 781 942-6726.