Register for Emergency Alerts
The emergency notification system can make phone calls to people and businesses in San Diego County when there's an emergency or disaster happening or about to happen. It's used by emergency workers to tell people what's going on and what they should do (like leave their homes, stay inside, or watch out for a gas leak or a missing person). The system can call both listed and unlisted landline phones using the 9-1-1 phone list from the local phone companies.
It can also send alerts to your cell phone, internet phone (VoIP), and email, but only if you register. You don't have to sign up if you have a regular landline phone; they already have those numbers in their system.
Alerts in American Sign Language (ASL)
Accessible AlertSanDiego is a service that helps people in San Diego County who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, or deaf/blind get emergency information.
You can receive emergency messages on devices like computers, cell phones, tablets, and special devices that help people who are blind or have low vision (like Braille readers). These messages are shown in American Sign Language (ASL) videos, and there's also English voice and text with them.
When you sign up for AlertSanDiego, you can choose the "Accessible Option" to get these messages in American Sign Language (ASL).
Wireless Emergency Alerts
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are emergency notifications from local, state, or federal officials that are broadcast to cell phones in a targeted area, alerting residents about the emergency, and with important, but limited information such as the emergency's location, time, type of emergency, what actions to take, where to go, and how to get more information. WEA messages come in 360 characters for most phones and 90 characters for older phones, so it’s important for residents to follow up on the alerts by turning to local media and/or officials for additional details. WEAs can be sent to your mobile device when you may be in harm’s way, without the need to download an app or subscribe to a service. WEAs are messages that warn the public of an impending natural or human-made disaster. The messages are short and can provide immediate, life-saving information.
The National Weather Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can also send WEA messages to residents to alert them to possible dangers like Flash Flood Warnings, or with information on abducted children with AMBER Alerts.
