The information you want to receive, the way you want to receive it.
As part of New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), Notify NYC is New York City’s dedicated emergency public communications program. Notify NYC staff operate 24x7 out of Watch Command, where they constantly monitor emergency activity in New York City and the metropolitan area.
The goal for Notify NYC is to provide the information you want to receive, the way you want to receive it. Registration offers 13 notification types:
Emergency alerts: These alerts are issued for critical incidents involving your safety or the safety of others in the area, including instructions on how to reduce the likelihood and/or severity of danger. Within this category are missing person alerts, which are issued to all subscribers.
Basement Alerts: Notifications specifically designed to alert those living in basement apartment about life-threatening weather conditions. DISCLAIMER: During weather emergencies, subscribers may receive phone calls any time of day, including during overnight hours.
Emergency Parking Suspension: Updates about unscheduled emergency suspension of citywide parking rules.
Ferry Disruptions: Messages about large or widespread ferry service disruptions.
Local Mass Transit Disruptions: Messages about large or widespread disruptions to transit within the five boroughs(MTA Subways, busses).
Major Traffic Disruptions: Messages about significant roadway closures, disruptions, or detours.
Planned Events: Information about preplanned activity that may cause local disruptions, such as drills or exercises, fireworks, movie and television filming, or routine planned flyovers.
Police Advisories: Law enforcement announcements for your neighborhood from your local police precincts.
Public Health Notifications: Information about important public health issues in your community.
Regional Mass Transit Disruptions: Messages about large or widespread disruptions to transit service throughout the NYC region(LIRR, NJ Transit, Amtrak, PATH Train, Metro North, airports, etc.).
School Notifications: Messages about unscheduled public school closings, delays, relocations, and early dismissals.
Significant Event Notifications: Important information about emergency events, utility outages, and other emergency situations and major planned events in your area.
Weather Emergencies: Messages about current or forecast weather events.
Waterbody Advisories: Messages about Combined Sewer Overflow(CSO) activity in New York City’s waterbodies you are interested in.
Beach Notifications: Information from the NYC Department of Health and the NYC Parks regarding the status of NYC beaches you are interested in.
Pool Notifications: Information from NYC Parks regarding the status of NYC pools you are interested in.
Notify NYC started as a pilot program in December of 2007 in four areas. It went citywide May 2009 as a means to communicate localized emergency information quickly to city residents. The City wanted a way to update New Yorkers quickly with official information after several incidents occurred in 2007, such as: tornadoes, a steam pipe explosion, and crane collapses. Since its inception, Notify NYC has sent out thousands of notifications about local emergencies.
To make Notify NYC even more valuable, we want your input on the development and future of Notify NYC services. Take the survey or send feedback about what you would like to see incorporated into the program.
Notify NYC is just one way the City of New York seeks to communicate urgent information to city residents. In addition to sending e-mails, text messages, tweets, and phone calls, the Notify NYC program has the ability to activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which sends information immediately via television and radio, and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, which sends alerts immediately through mobile devices within a targeted geographic area. Additional technologies are always being evaluated as they become available, including new social networking tools. For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.