The City of Cambridge officially launched a new notification system last week, and they're encouraging the Harvard community to sign up.The Cambridge Alert Network—which consists of CodeRED for emergency notifications, CitizenObserver for crime alerts, and Cambridge E-Line for general information—will allow subscribers to receive timely and targeted notifications via phone, text message, or email depending on the service they sign up for.

"It will be extremely helpful in communicating information directly to the community during natural disasters, snow parking bans and other types of emergencies," said City Manager Robert W. Healy.

CodeRED, the newest of the Cambridge Alert Network trifecta, will operate similar to the MessageMe emergency notification service that Harvard currently provides.

E-Line and CitizenObserver had been in use for a few years prior to last week's launch. Longtime subscribers to E-Line were recently added to the new CodeRED subscriber list, which was put to use late-August when Hurricane Irene was headed toward Massachusetts.

Now you'll be all set the next time a blizzard, a heat wave, an earthquake, and a hurricane decide to head our way all in the same year.