Full Notification

On Tuesday, September 23rd at 8:30 A.M., as part of National Preparedness Month, the City of Seal Beach, Seal Beach Police Department and West – Cites Communications, in partnership with the County of Orange, will conduct a test of Orange County’s Regional Notification System - AlertOC. The objective is to test AlertOC’s capability, capacity, and effectiveness to deliver emergency notifications to the public during times of major disaster. The AlertOC system replaced the older “reverse 911” system. This the fifth annual test of the system.

AlertOC is a mass notification system used by the City of Seal Beach and Seal Beach Police Department to issue government related messages to residents and businesses. All residential and commercial landline phone numbers are a part of the AlertOC system. During the test all residents of the City of Seal Beach should expect a phone call on their home phone line; businesses will not be receiving a test call.

The AlertOC drill on September 23rd will replicate a large scale, multi-jurisdictional emergency requiring thousands of numbers to be called simultaneously across Orange County’s entire region. The phone message will urge all residents to prepare for real-life emergencies by registering their cell numbers, text numbers and e-mail addresses at AlertOC.com for the best chance to receive vital, timely information when away from home.

New smartphone apps are now are also available for AlertOC. Available for iPhone and Android smartphones, these apps will allow users to receive push notifications, review past messages, update contact information, and set device and language preferences. Smartphone users can find the app by searching “Blackboard MyConnect” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Emergencies can happen at any time. A wildfire could spread or a flood could close the roads to a neighborhood while residents are away from home. In these instances, AlertOC is a critical link for residents to immediately learn of any required actions.

The key feature of AlertOC is the ability for residents to register more than one contact method at a specific address. Registrations of cell phone and alternate numbers increase the potential of reaching the greatest number of community members as rapidly as possible. This enables landlines, cell phones and e-mail addresses to be incorporated into a single notification system. Residents are encouraged to self-register their email addresses, cell phone numbers and other alternate numbers to be a part of the regional test.

For more information or to register alternate phone numbers and email addresses, visit AlertOC.com. Commuters are reminded to be safe and use hands-free devices when talking on the phone and driving.

For more information about National Preparedness Month and how to prepare for a disaster go to www.ready.gov.