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Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Honolulu unveils new emergency notification system
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ Acting city Emergency Management Director Jennifer Walter spoke Monday about the city's new notification system, HNL Alerts, during a news conference at the Honolulu Emergency Operations Center. Behind her are Fire Chief Sheldon Ham, left, Dr. Jim Ireland and Police Chief Arthur 'Joe ' Logan. 1 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ Acting city Emergency Management Director Jennifer Walter spoke Monday about the city's new notification system, HNL Alerts, during a news conference at the Honolulu Emergency Operations Center. Behind her are Fire Chief Sheldon Ham, left, Dr. Jim Ireland and Police Chief Arthur 'Joe ' Logan. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ 'The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be.' Mayor Rick Blangiardi Pictured above speaking at Monday's news conference unveiling the HNL Alert system 2 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ 'The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be.' Mayor Rick Blangiardi Pictured above speaking at Monday's news conference unveiling the HNL Alert system GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ Acting city Emergency Management Director Jennifer Walter spoke Monday about the city's new notification system, HNL Alerts, during a news conference at the Honolulu Emergency Operations Center. Behind her are Fire Chief Sheldon Ham, left, Dr. Jim Ireland and Police Chief Arthur 'Joe ' Logan. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ 'The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be.' Mayor Rick Blangiardi Pictured above speaking at Monday's news conference unveiling the HNL Alert system Starting today, the City and County of Honolulu officially launches its new real-time, mass-notification system to inform the public about severe weather, beach and ocean safety conditions, drinking water issues, evacuations, road closures and other community updates. Called HNL Alert, the latest city Department of Emergency Management system will issue alerts as text messages, push notifications or emails during an emergency or disaster situation on behalf of the city to residents and visitors alike. These messages also will be sent in close collaboration with other first-responder agencies. Alerts about traffic, Oahu's drinking water system and ocean safety will be issued by the Honolulu Police Department, the Board of Water Supply and the Department of Ocean Safety, respectively. Additional city departments will be brought into the system as HNL Alert expands, city officials said Monday. 'HNL Alert allows the city to communicate much more detailed instructions and updates with residents and visitors, ' city Emergency Management Acting Director Jennifer Walter said in a statement. 'We want to give people as much information as we can to help empower them to make the best choices for their safety.' 'With HNL Alert, we can send you updates about developing situations so you can make the decision to leave early if you feel unsafe or need more time, ' she added. 'HNL Alert is a tool that we can use in addition to our existing emergency alert systems.' There are two ways to sign up for HNL Alert. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The first includes customized alerts whereby users can create an account at. With an account, users can select the topics they want to receive alerts about and pick any combination of text messages, email alerts or mobile push notifications from the city's public safety agencies via the Everbridge app. To use the app, residents can enter one or more addresses to receive targeted alerts about events affecting specific areas such as their neighborhood or near their workplace. Users can also make changes to preferred alert topics or methods at any time. The second way to sign up is to gain so-called urgent alerts. To receive these, text 'HNLALERT ' to 888777 to quickly subscribe and get the most important safety alerts by text. No registration is needed for this option, the city said. To receive alerts, users will need to have up-to-date contact information. If a user's contact information changes, those changes can be made on the user's profile at A user's personal information will not be shared, according to the city. The user's provided information will be used only for notification purposes and not be sold or used by another vendor or organization, city officials said. HNL Alert is used in addition to emergency warning systems that do not require sign-up. Those include wireless emergency alerts, or WEAs, that sound on mobile devices, sirens and Emergency Alert System messages that interrupt radio and TV. While these warning systems are intended for use during urgent emergencies, HNL Alert messages can keep residents and visitors informed about developing weather conditions and other situations affecting city services. HNL Alert messages can contain more details, include images and links to real-time information, and don't disappear quickly from a mobile device. This means users have more time to read and understand the information or share it with others, city officials said. HNL Alert utilizes Everbridge, the system's vendor, for what the city says is an 'industry leading public notification system used by numerous public and private entities around the globe.' The new system, which informally launched in March, replaces the city's prior system, Alerts. But other functions of Alerts are still available on the website or app. The first messages were sent to current Alert users on March 25, notifying them of the change and to receive instructions on how to transition to HNL Alert, the city said. The HNL Alert /Everbridge platform allows for additional features was not able to provide. These include automation of weather messages from the National Weather Service, geotargeting of messages, and a quick text to subscribe for event-based messages that allows the city to engage with visitors more efficiently. Everbridge also connects social media accounts to these messages. 'In times of emergency, getting accurate, timely information can make all the difference, ' Mayor Rick Blan giardi said in a statement. 'But it is not just about receiving alerts—it is about taking personal responsibility and acting on them.' 'We urge everyone to sign up, stay informed, and be prepared, ' he added. 'The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be.' Although HNL Alert is free, messaging and data rates could apply depending on the user's mobile provider. To unsubscribe from HNL Alert, users can follow the instructions in any HNL Alert email or remove contact information from account profiles. Those subscribed to urgent text alerts only can text 'STOP.'———For more information about HNL Alert, visit.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Honolulu introduces new emergency alert system
HONOLULU (KHON2) — March 31 marks the debut of the City and County of Honolulu's new mass notification system entitled 'HNL Alert,' as a part of the city's Emergency Operations Center. According to the city, the system will allow residents and visitors alike to sign up for updates regarding severe weather, emergencies and other notable community news through text messages, push notifications and email. 38-year-old skateboarder killed in crash involving two vehicles 'In times of emergency, getting accurate, timely information can make all the difference,' said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. 'HNL Alert is a critical tool that allows us to provide residents and visitors with real-time updates, helping them make informed decisions on their safety. But it is not just about receiving alerts–it is about taking personal responsibility and acting on them. We urge everyone to sign up, stay informed and be prepared. The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be.' HNL Alert will be used in addition to emergency warning systems that do not require users to sign up, such as Wireless Emergency Alerts that sound on mobile phones and sirens. It is also in addition to the Emergency Alert System messages that sound on radios and new system can also include multiple sources of information, such as photographs and links to real-time information. The alerts also stay on the mobile device for a longer amount of time, rather than disappearing quickly, allowing users to have more time to read and understand information and share it with loved ones. 'HNL Alert allows the city to communicate much more detailed instructions and updates with residents and visitors. We want to give people as much information as we can to help empower them to make the best choices for their safety,' said Department of Emergency Management Acting Director Jennifer Walter. 'With HNL Alert, we can send you updates about developing situations so you can make the decision to leave early if you feel unsafe or need more time. HNL Alert is a tool that we can use in addition to our existing emergency systems.' Users can sign up for HNL Alerts through two methods: For customized alerts, create an account on the HNL Alerts website. On the website, users can select which topics they would like to be alerted about and pick how they would like to receive the messages. Users can also put specific addresses into the website to get targeted alerts about specific areas, whether that be home, work or school. For urgent alerts only, users can text 'HNLALERT' to 888777 to subscribe in a quick and easy fashion to get the most important safety information via text message. There is no registration required for this option. The new system is replacing the city's previous notification system, HNL Info Alerts. For more information, visit the Department of Emergency Management's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
