Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Alert Sf topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Francisco rolls out Alert SF text-notification system, staff to integrate sign‑ups with upcoming 3‑1‑1 service
Summary
City staff announced Alert SF (live Oct. 17), a zip‑code and address‑based text-notification tool for tsunami and post‑disaster messaging and said the city will promote sign‑ups and integrate registration options with the planned 3‑1‑1 rollout.
Officials described Alert SF, the city’s new text‑based public alert system that went live Oct. 17, and asked council members to encourage residents and staff to register. The system allows users to sign up online (www.alertsf.org), specify up to four addresses or ZIP codes for targeted messages, and receive multilingual alerts and post‑disaster notifications such as care‑and‑shelter locations.
Anne Marie, one of the program leads, said the city is running an outreach campaign through December that will include targeted messaging for tsunami inundation zones and multilingual materials. She emphasized that text messaging has proven more resilient in some past disasters and that Alert SF is intended to complement, not replace, personal preparedness steps such as having radios and 72‑hour kits.
Staff said they are coordinating with the 3‑1‑1 team to permit future sign‑ups through that service once 3‑1‑1 is operational. The mayor earlier noted the city will begin a soft phase of its 3‑1‑1 implementation and that the service’s formal launch is scheduled for March 11 next year; staff suggested integrating Alert SF sign‑up prompts with 3‑1‑1 interactions when feasible.
City staff also noted technical and cost issues for automatically enrolling all city employees and said they will begin by encouraging disaster‑service workers to register and identify which city phones can receive text messages.
