Hardin County News
CodeRED "County Wide All Call" Test on December 9, 2011
Ellsworth Municipal Hospital and Hardin County have partnered together to renew the County’s contract with the CodeRED Emergency Communications system. The CodeRED system provides City and County officials in Hardin County the ability to quickly deliver pre-recorded emergency telephone notification/messages to targeted areas or the entire County. This system will only be used when situations arise that you should know about. Messages will be sent only to those residents directly affected by a particular event.
Both EMH and Hardin County are excited to announce the first “County Wide All Call” test of the system, to be launched on Friday Morning December 9th, 2011 probably around 10:00 A.M. County officials will be working with CodeRed technicians to assess the capacity and speed of the system in a full County Wide Alert situation. Please listen to the complete message and if you have a cell phone save the number in your contacts as “ CodeRed” that way if you have caller I.D. you will see that it is an incoming alert from CodeRed.
EMH recognizes the important role it plays in providing emergency services to the residents of Hardin County. Cherelle Montanye, CEO of Ellsworth Municipal Hospital, says, “We don’t have to look far to see communities devastated by tornadoes, floods and other catastrophic events. We may not be able to prevent a similar event here in Hardin County, but there are things we can do, like using the CodeRED system, to help save lives and minimize damage through a simple communication tool.”
Hardin County had previously contracted the Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution through grant funding, which has since run out. Ellsworth Municipal Hospital is funding the yearlong contract and will assist Hardin County in registering residents for the service.
The Hardin County Emergency Management Agency cautions that such systems are only as good as the telephone number database supporting them. If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called. One of the reasons the CodeRED system was selected is it gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own phone numbers, even cell phone numbers, directly into the system's database; this is an extremely important feature.
No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included. Hardin County residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up online. Those without Internet access may call the Hardin County Emergency Management Agency at 641-939-8132, Monday through Friday, 8AM-4PM, to supply their information over the phone.
Required information includes:
- first and last name
- street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes)
- city
- state
- zip code
- primary phone number
- Additional phone numbers can be entered as well.
Ellsworth Municipal Hospital is helping with the enrollment process as well by offering to register patients for the CodeRED system when they register for medical services at EMH and thier clinics. “This is an important element to our partnership with Ellsworth Municipal Hospital”, says Hardin County Emergency Management Coordinator, Roxane Warnell, “For the system to be effective, we need to update and enroll every possible citizen of Hardin County. To have an agency willing to help us facilitate the enrollment process greatly improves the effectiveness of the system.”
All businesses should register, as well as all individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address within the past year, and those who use a cellular phone or VoIP phone as their primary number.
CodeRED allows geographically based delivery, which means street addresses are required to ensure emergency notification calls are received by the proper individuals in a given situation. The system works for cell phones too, but we need to have an associated street address to provide relevant messages.
CodeRED gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for inputting information. The data collected will only be used for emergency notification purposes.
The Hardin County website also lists a Frequently Asked Questions page for more information about the service. Additional questions should be directed to the Hardin County Emergency Management Agency at 641-939-8132
City Election Results
City elections were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, in all cities in Hardin County. In addition to the city elections, a Public Measure (.pdf) was on the ballot that pertained to all voters, even those outside the corporate limits. This public measure was to determine whether Hardin County should issue General Obligation Bonds not to exceed $20,000,000 to assist in the construction of a new Ellsworth Municipal Hospital facility immediately south of Walmart in Iowa Falls.
Any questions about voting in Hardin County should be directed to the Auditor's Office at 641-939-8108 or rmcclellan@hardincountyia.gov.
Purchase Engraved Bricks for Courthouse Plaza
Be a part of the Hardin County's legacy! As part as the landscaping project around the Hardin County Courthouse in Eldora, citizens will have the opportunity to purchase engraved bricks that will be placed in the plaza on the north side of the courthouse. This plaza will feature a township map of Hardin County in the location of the current fountain, which is being removed. Don't miss this opportunity to honor a family member, friend, or organization. Bricks are $100 each and can be purchased in the Auditor's Office or by downloading the order form below. Preserving the Past - Building the Future - One Brick at a Time.
Courthouse Plaza Brick Order Form (.pdf)
County Plat Books for Sale
The Rural County Plat Book for Hardin County is now available for purchase at the Recorder's Office in the Courthouse. Books are $15 each. This book was created by the GIS Department and contains rural property owner information, including rural subdivisions, and a street map for each incorporated town. View Sample Page (pdf)
2010 Census Data
County/City Census Profiles
Iowa State University has released profiles describing characteristics of the local and state population based on results from the 2010 Census for each county and incorporated city in Iowa. They include demographic data on age, race, ethnicity, household composition, housing occupancy, and housing tenure.
View County Reports
View City Reports
The U.S. Census has release population data for both counties and cities. Hardin County had a decrease in population of -1,278 (-6.8%) to 17,534 people from 2000 to 2010. Click the link below to see population information for all the counties and cities in Iowa.
2010 Hardin Population Totals
Ackley - 1,589
Alden - 787
Buckeye - 108
Eldora - 2,732
Hubbard - 845
Iowa Falls - 5,238
New Providence - 228
Owasa - 43
Radcliffe - 545
Steamboat Rock - 310
Union - 397
Whitten - 149
Total population in incorporated areas: 12,971
Total population in rural areas: 4,563
Total population: 17,537
Hardin County Flags Available!
Hardin County Flags are now available for purchase. The cost for each flag is $50. Please contact the Auditor's Office at 641-939-8108 to order.
