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1. What are City of Elizabeth Alerts?

City of Elizabeth (COE) Alerts use an application to send emergency alerts, notifications and updates about the community to your cell phone, mobile device, home phone, work and/or email account. In the event of an emergency, public safety agencies such as City Hall, Police or Fire Department will be able to provide emergency information directly to you. All you have to do is sign up for a free COE Alerts account.

2. What is a City of Elizabeth Alerts Account?

Each person may sign up for a City of Elizabeth (COE) Alerts account. You can add multiple devices (cell phones, smartphones, tablets and email addresses) to your COE Alerts account. Alerts can be sent to all devices listed in your COE Alerts account. Contact the Public Information Bureau at 908-820-4124 for more information.

3. How do City of Elizabeth Alerts work?

In an Emergency situation, an alert may be sent by emergency response agencies by text, email or voice recording to your mobile device, home or business phone. Check these messages promptly and follow the instructions. Additional instructions may follow throughout the emergency situation so keep your phone near you. Even if the cell phones are busy, text messages may still come through to your phone. For more information, call the Public Information Bureau at 908-820-4124.

4. Who sends out alerts?

City of Elizabeth (COE) Alerts are managed by the City of Elizabeth’s Bureau of Public Information. The service is free to register and is available to all residents in Elizabeth and more. Questions can be emailed to the Webmaster.

5. What type of alerts will be sent?

Residents are given the option to sign up for Emergency Alerts, Advisory Alerts or Community Alerts or may choose to receive all alerts. These may include information about severe weather, street closures, events or disaster notifications. A few examples of the type of messages that can be sent through City of Emergency (COE) Alerts are:

Emergency Alerts

• Notify residents of available evacuation routes during an emergency
• Notify residents of the location of the nearest emergency shelter, hours of operation during a crisis (i.e: storms, blizzards, power outages, extreme heat or cold)

Advisory Alerts

• Event announcements, which may impact Traffic and Parking
• Health Alerts
• Power Outages
• Road Closures
• Weather Warnings

Community Alerts

• Block Watch Meeting Announcements
• Event Announcements
• Festivals or Parades
• Parking or Garbage rules suspended

6. Why should I enter my address?

While an address is not mandatory, City of Elizabeth (COE) Alerts can be tailored to a particular area. When you enter an address, such as your home, work, child’s school or a relative’s home, the address is geocoded within the mapping system. A map system allows emergency personnel to focus their alerts down to a specific neighborhood or any entire city. If you don’t include at least one address, you may miss an important alert or receive alerts for the entire City of Elizabeth. For more information, call the Public Information Bureau at 908-820-4124.