Emergency Alerts

During an emergency event, it’s important to get local information that is trusted, accurate, and timely. The City of Vernon has expanded its ability to share time sensitive emergency-related information with its residents, businesses, and visitors, by connecting digitally through the Alertable system.

If you need to shelter-in-place or evacuate, these notifications will give you the information you need to become aware of the situation and take action to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

All residents in the Greater Vernon area are encouraged to sign up to receive notifications from Alertable. This system is used by the City of Vernon and many neighbouring jurisdictions.

Once you sign up, be sure to follow 'Vernon, BC'. You can also add your home address and follow other communities that use the Alertable notification system, to stay up-to-date where you live, work and explore.

Use the links below to sign up for emergency notifications from the City of Vernon. Registration is FREE, simple and anonymous. You get to choose how you receive notifications.

• Mobile app alerts: download the Alertable app for iOS and Android smartphones from the Apple or Google Play stores. The mobile app is the recommended option for using the system and will also allow users to access DriveBC and Environment Canada weather alerts.

  

• Text message or voice call alerts: sign up using the button below.

  

• Email alerts: sign up at vernon.ca/subscribe.
• Desktop and browser notifications: sign up at alertable.ca.
• Amazon Alexa: install the Alertable skill and action for these home devices.

Once you sign up, be sure to follow 'Vernon, BC'. You can also add your home address and follow other communities that use Alertable to stay up-to-date throughout the region.

Please note: 
Only critical notifications from the City of Vernon (i.e., Evacuation Orders) will be delivered by phone call or text message. However, all types of notifications will be delivered via the Alertable app, home speaker systems, alertable.ca, email, and social media.

The City of Vernon will continue posting all emergency notifications on this website and its social media channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, using the handle @CityofVernon), as well as distributing news releases and working closely with local media outlets to keep the public informed.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, check your settings to make sure you’re receiving the notifications you want to receive.

When you receive an alert from the system:

Stop. Take a look or listen to your device.

Breathe. There is no need to panic, even if you are being put on Evacuation Order. It is important to remain calm so you can understand the instructions.

Read. Please read the entire notification. Often the area notified by the Alertable system will be larger than the actual alert area. There may be links to more specific maps and information as part of the Alertable notification. You may need to click the down-arrow to see all of the text included with the notification. Calling the City before you have read the entire notification ties up emergency program resources at what can be a very critical time. 

Remember, you are in charge of your settings, so please take the time to ensure you have Alertable set up the way that suits you best.

No, regardless of the method you choose to receive notifications (app, text, phone notifications, etc.) this alert notification service is free to all users.

By turning on ‘Follow Me’, you will receive (Alertable) emergency notifications that are happening in the geographical location that you (your phone) are visiting, even when you are away from the North Okanagan communities you selected.

Note: Only notifications from communities that use the Alertable system can be received through the Alertable app.

You will only receive notifications if you sign up for this service; however, information will still be available from your local emergency program through this website and local media coverage. 

We encourage you to sign up for alert notifications and to follow the City of Vernon on Facebook and Instagram, using the handle @CityofVernon. 

No. The information provided is confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.

Environment Canada and DriveBC both use Alertable to issue alerts. If they issue an alert that includes the geographic location you have selected (i.e. 1 or more of the North Okanagan municipalities) you will receive it. If you would prefer not to receive these alerts, turn them off in 1 of 3 ways:

1. Turn off the ‘Advisory’ Sound Alert: In the Alertable app, under ‘Settings’, ensure you have turned OFF the ‘Advisory Alert Sound’. By turning off ‘Advisory Alert Sound’ you will receive the advisory, but there will be no sound interruption, and you can look at it at your leisure (or not at all!) Note that you will continue to receive a sound interruption for anything categorized as ‘critical’.

OR

2. Only Receive ‘Critical’ Alerts, not ‘Advisories’: Also under ‘Settings’ of the App, click that you wish to receive ‘Critical’ alerts, not ‘Critical and Advisory alerts’. This will ensure you no longer receive ‘advisory’ alerts (including advisories from the City of Vernon). 

OR

3. Turn off Advisories of a specific nature (i.e. Weather): Go to ‘Advanced Advisory Settings’ (also in Settings) and turn off unwanted alert categories. For example, turn off ‘Transportation’ to stop receiving highway advisories from Drive BC, or ‘Weather’ to stop receiving advisories from Environment Canada.

To unsubscribe from receiving email or phone alerts, follow these steps:

• Click the blue 'Existing Subscriber' bar that appears
• enter your email address (do not enter your phone number)
• an access code will then immediately be sent to your email address; enter this access code into the input screen on the City of Vernon website
  • If you are unsubscribing from phone alerts, an access code will be sent to your phone
• following the prompts on the input screen, you can change your information or close your account

No. ‘Alert Ready’ is a Canada-wide system that allows government officials in each province and territory to issue emergency alerts through compatible wireless devices and major television and radio broadcasters. You do not subscribe to Alert Ready; alerts will be broadcast without a subscription and at no cost to ensure the maximum number of people receive alerts. In British Columbia, Alert Ready may be used in the event of a potential wildfire, flood, tsunami, tornado and severe thunderstorm, Amber Alert, or civil emergency. For more information on Alert Ready, visit alertready.ca.