Emergency Alerts and Warnings

Antenna

Receiving timely information about weather conditions or other emergency events can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to be safe. Local police and fire departments, emergency managers, the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and private industry are working together to make sure you can receive alerts and warnings quickly through several different technologies no matter where you are–at home, at school, at work, or in the community.

For those with access and functional needs, many messages are TTY/TDD compatible and many devices have accessible accommodations. Be sure to share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues. And remember to keep extra batteries for your mobile phone or radio in a safe place or consider purchasing other backup power supplies such as a car, solar-powered, or hand crank charger.

 

Emergency Alert Notifications

  1. The City of West Linn uses the Clackamas County PublicAlert system to provide higher-level urgent emergency notifications that may affect life safety or public health. Notifications are sent by email, text or phone. 
  2. The City of West Linn, the West Linn Police Department and the West Linn/Wilsonville School District use FlashAlert for urgent notifications, press releases and other important City news. The FlashAlert Messenger app can be downloaded from the Apple AppStore or Google Playstore to enable push notifications. Inactive accounts are regularly deleted from the system, so even if you have previously subscribed it's still a good idea to verify your account.
  3. We also use the City's weekly email newsletter list to communicate urgent notifications.

We highly recommend you sign up for all three services to ensure you stay informed on important emergency topics. 

Sign up for Clackamas County PublicAlerts!

Sign up for the City of West Linn news via FlashAlert!

Sign up for the West Linn Weekly email newsletter!

 

NOAA Weather Radio

The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, or NWR, is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting forecasts, warnings, and emergency information 24 hours a day. It is a comprehensive weather and emergency information service available to the public. All-hazards messages include weather events, technological incidents like chemical spills, AMBER alerts,
and national emergencies. NWR also broadcasts EAS notices.

A special weather radio receiver is required to receive NWR broadcasts. You can buy these receivers at many retail outlets such as electronics stores, department stores, big box stores, or online. Be sure to look for the Public Alert or NWR logo to ensure the radio meets technical requirements. Models identified as SAME, or Specific Area Message Encoding, receivers allow users to select alerts for specific geographic areas. For information on NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, visit www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr.

 

American Red Cross Apps

The American Red Cross offers apps that provide alert functions for specific types of hazards. These apps also offer information on what to do in the event of the hazard, and safety information. You can download the app to your mobile device or smartphone free on iTunes (Apple-iOS 6.0 or later) and Google Play (Android) at www.redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps.

For individuals

  • Confirm your mobile device can receive Wireless Emergency Alerts.
  • Sign up for text and/or email alerts from your local jurisdiction.
  • Consider purchasing a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards.
  • If you do not have a landline, check to see if your jurisdiction has options for VoIP and mobile phones to be connected to ETN systems such as Reverse 911©.
  • Sign up for listservs and alerts for the workplace, schools, houses of worship, or other community organizations you’ll want to hear from in an emergency.
  • Download relevant hazard alerts and warnings apps.
  • Create a list of all the alert systems available to you, and make sure everyone in the household receives the alerts as part of your household communication system.

For organizations

  • Test internal communication systems to ensure all individuals in the organization
  • can be contacted.
  • Designate individuals to be responsible for distributing alerts from official sources.
  • Consider purchasing a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards.
  • Develop a list of all the alert systems available for your community and your organization as a guide for people in the organization.
  • Encourage individuals to sign up for alerts and warnings, and assist them with finding any needed information.
     

From www.FEMA.gov

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