Android App
If you have an Android
mobile phone or tablet you can install the
Alberta Emergency Alert App to receive alerts. The App is available in
the Google Play Store for Android 4.0 and up devices.
iOS App
If you have an Apple
mobile phone or tablet you can install the
Alberta Emergency Alert App to receive alerts. The App is available in
the App Store for iOS 6.0 and up devices and is optimized for an iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. Why is Alberta Emergency Alert important to me?
- Alerts received at the right time can help keep you safe during an emergency.
With Alberta Emergency Alert, warnings can be sent to your mobile device when
you may be in harm's way.
- 2. What is an Alberta Emergency Alert message?
- Alberta Emergency Alert is an emergency message sent by authorized
government alerting authorities through radio, television, social media and your
mobile device.
- 3. What types of alerts will I receive?
- Critical Alerts:
Provides necessary information when there is an immediate and life threatening danger.
Informational Alerts:
Provides less urgent emergency information to the public, preparing them for
potentially worsening situations. These alerts should be used to protect and
prepare the public, their property, their animals and/or the environment from
the impacts of a potential emergency.
Test Alerts:
System testing in progress
- 4. What are Alberta Emergency Alert messages sent for?
- Critical alerts are issued when there is an immediate threat to life and
safety. Information alerts are more common, and include (but not limited to)
roadway closures, air and water quality, school closures or infrastructure
problems such as telephone or gas outages.
- 5. What should I do when I receive an Alberta Emergency Alert message?
- Follow any action advised by the message. Tune into local media or
seek details from local authorities for additional direction.
- 6. Will the audible alert go off for all alerts?
- The audible alert will sound for all Critical alerts. Users have the
option to disable audio for the less serious Information Alerts.
- 7. How will I know if there is a new alert?
- The notification list on your device will be updated when a new alert is
received. If the alert is a Critical
alert, the Alberta Emergency Alert audible alert tone will be sounded as well.
- 8. What happens if I shut off sounds?
- The device will still vibrate when an alert comes in provided that
setting is enabled on the phone.
- 9. What happens if my device is powered off?
- Your device will not receive alerts if it is powered off, but will again
once it is turned back on. If there is a current alert, you should receive it
after turning your device back on.
- 10. What happens when my device is asleep?
- Your device will still receive alerts.
- 11. Will I receive alerts in airplane mode?
- You will not get alerts until you re-establish a valid network connection.
- 12. Will I receive an Alberta Emergency Alert message if I'm
visiting an area where I don't live, or outside the area where my phone is registered?
- Yes, if you have selected "My Current Location" or "All Alberta" for
your notification area.
- 13. What if I travel into a threat area after an Alberta
Emergency Alert message is already sent?
- You will receive the alert for an area if you have registered for
alerts in that area.
- 14. When will I start receiving Alberta Emergency Alert messages?
- You will start receiving alerts once the application has been installed
on your smartphone or tablet and as alerts are issued.
- 15. How much will it cost to download the Alberta Emergency
Alert app?
- The Alberta Emergency Alert app is free. Any cost could be related to
data connection charges assessed by your service provider.
- 16. Will I be charged for receiving Alberta Emergency Alert
messages?
- Contact your service provider.
- 17. Is this the same service that other local authority
public safety agencies have asked the public to register for?
- No, but they are complementary. Local agencies may have asked you to
sign up to receive telephone calls, text messages, or emails. Those messages
often include specific details about a critical event. Alberta Emergency Alerts
are very short messages designed to get your attention in a critical situation.
They may not give all the details you receive from other notification services.
- 18. Does Alberta Emergency Alert know where I am? Is it
tracking me?
- No. The location data is to ensure the right alerts are going to the
devices that have installed the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile application.
- 19. Will an Alberta Emergency Alert message interrupt my phone
conversations?
- No. Phone conversations will not be interrupted when alerts come in.
- 20. How often will I receive Alberta Emergency Alert messages?
- You may get very few Alberta Emergency Alert messages, or you may
receive frequent messages when conditions change during an emergency. The
number of messages depends on the number of imminent threats to life or property
in your area.
- 21. If, during an emergency, I can't make or receive calls
or text messages due to network congestion, will I still be able to receive an
Alberta Emergency Alert message?
- The Alberta Emergency Alert App requires a valid data connection
(whether through WiFi or cellular networks) for alerts to be received. If
those networks are congested and/or are of poor signal strength, the timely
delivery of alert messages may be impacted.
- 22. What if I don't want to receive Alberta Emergency Alert
messages?
- You can uninstall the application on your smartphone and you will no
longer receive Alberta Emergency Alert alerts through the application.
- 23. How will I receive alerts if I don't have an Alberta
Emergency Alert-capable device?
- The Alberta Emergency Alert mobile application is only one of the ways
you receive emergency alerts. Other sources include news broadcasts, the
Alberta Emergency Alert System on radio and television, Twitter, Facebook and
RSS feeds.
- 24. Why can there sometimes be a delay for the Alberta Emergency
Alert mobile app to notify me?
- There are many steps in the process of sending notifications to your phone.
Many of those steps are out of the Government's control, including the notification
services from Apple and Google and network availability. There's also the capacity
and capability of your mobile network provider, at the time the notification was
sent, that can affect actual speed to your smartphone.
- 25. Should I rely solely on the mobile app to notify me of
emergencies happening in Alberta?
- No. Although the mobile app is a valuable and convenient way to be alerted
of emergencies in Alberta, there are other ways to receive alerts. Television,
radio, social media (Facebook and Twitter) and the Alberta Emergency Alert website
also provide this same emergency alert information. Each has its own benefits and
limitations - it's best to receive alerts from multiple sources.
- 26. What if I hear about an Alberta Emergency Alert some other
way than the mobile app, can I still use the mobile app to find out information
about the emergency?
- Yes, you can always use the mobile app to get more information for an
alert that you may have just heard. You can also check the
www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca website.
- 27. There has been a delay in receiving alerts on Apple
devices, has this been fixed?
- Yes, the issue of notifications being slow for Apple devices has been
resolved. Notifications will now be delivered at the same speed as they are
delivered to the Android devices, which did not have the problem. Alberta Emergency
Alert mobile app messages are being sent to Apple and Android mobile devices in
5 minutes or less. That said, there can still be a delay due to other reasons.
(See question 24)
- 28. What is the difference between the Alberta Emergency
Alert app and the new wireless alert?
- Only the most serious alerts will be sent out using the new wireless
alerting system. Other alerts that provide information on developing emergencies
or serious alerts from other areas will be delivered to you via the Alberta
Emergency Alert app, social media and the Alberta Emergency Alert website. The
wireless alert message will only contain basic information, and maps and more
details will be available from the app and website.
- 29. Will I receive wireless alerts, if I have the Alberta
Emergency Alert app on my smart phone?
- The wireless alert messages will be delivered to your wireless device
only if you are in the impacted area. Depending on your preference, the Alberta
Emergency Alert app could receive alerts for the entire province.
- 30. Can I remove the Alberta Emergency Alert app from my
phone now that wireless alerts are being sent to me?
- This is not recommended. The app and wireless alert message are
complementary with the wireless alert being a short message and the app
providing more detail and a map.
- 31. Will the alert go off on my smartphone twice if I have
the Alberta Emergency Alert app and receive a wireless alert message?
- Yes. You will receive two alerts. However, we are working to blend the
two systems so that only one alarm is sounded for the alert.
Disclaimer
Use of this mobile
application, and use of the information accessed by it,
is your responsibility. This application is provided 'as is', without warranty
or representation of any kind including the use, accuracy, timelines, applicability,
performance, security, availability or reliability of this application, or that
it is free of errors or defects. The Government of Alberta is not responsible
for any loss or damage arising from the use of this mobile application or any
reliance on the information accessed by it. The Government of Alberta is not
responsible for any loss or damage arising out of a failure to access information
through this mobile application, or from any virus or other damage to your mobile
device or its operating system resulting from the downloading of this application.