Stay Informed

The City of Oakland is part of the Alameda County Alert program also known as AC Alerts. This program is a free, opt-in program requiring you to sign up before you can receive important messages. AC Alerts is capable of sending notifications by voice, text, and email to all subscribers.

AC Alerts also has a handy smartphone app that we recommend all community members download.

Please note that AC Alerts and Nixle are not the same program. If you are signed up for Nixle, you still need to sign up separately for AC Alerts. 

Outside of Alameda County?

Do you work outside of Alameda County? Do you have friends and loved ones in a different part of the Bay Area?

If you spend a lot of time outside of Alameda County, like a workplace, community organization, or sports league, sign up your frequently visited addresses to receive alerts for those locations.

Encourage friends and loved ones to sign up for their county's alert system as well! Visit Alert-The-Bay for more information about alerting systems in other Bay Area counties.

Genasys Protect is a platform used by the City of Oakland to help communities during an emergency by providing evacuation zone mapping, targeted alerts, and notifications to those who have downloaded the mobile app.

Genasys protect is also available directly on the website if you do not wish to download an application on your smartphone.

Every neighborhood in Oakland is assigned a zone identifier with most neighborhood zone IDs starting with "OKL".

In the event of an evacuation, City officials will announce the zones affected so it is important to know your zone! Go to our Evacuations page for more information about what to do during an evacuation and how to sign up for Genasys Protect.

 The City of Oakland has 25 sirens strategically placed through Oakland to alert community members of an emergency. These sirens produce 3 different sounds. Each sound tells you how to stay safe during the emergency.

 Volume warning: Please note the sample sounds may be loud.

•  If you hear a 3-minute steady tone, you should shelter in place. 
• If you hear a 3-minute slow wail tone, there might be a tsunami. 
• If you hear a 3-minute fast wail tone, there is a fire. 

Emergency Siren Test 

At noon on the first Wednesday of every month, we test the emergency siren warning system. The test is a 30-second slow wail tone.

If you hear a siren at a different time, there is an emergency in your area! You should tune your radio to KCBS (106.9 FM or 740 AM), check AC Alerts, Genasys Protect, or visit another trusted news source for further information and instructions.

There is a lot of information on the internet from a lot of sources that claim to be credible. Make sure your information is coming from reliable sources and verified accounts. Download apps and bookmark webpages today so that they are easily accessible during an emergency. 

Trusted Apps

We recommend the following apps to download:

• AC Alert App
• Genasys Protect App
• MyShake App for early Earthquake notifications
• Watch Duty App for Wildfire tracking
• A local radio streaming app of your choice
• A local news app of your choice

Tune in to Emergency Alert System Stations

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcasts emergency information directly to radio and television carriers. This system allows the President of the United States to address the nation during national emergencies and can also be used by the City of Oakland to broadcast emergency information during significant local emergencies.

Not all radio and television stations participate in broadcasting local Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages.

In Oakland, your EAS radio stations are:

• KCBS - 740 AM and 106.9 FM
• KQED - 88.5 FM
• KSOL - 98.9 for EAS messages in Spanish.

Your EAS television stations are:

• KTVU-FOX (Channel 2) 
• KRON (Channel 4)
• KPIX-CBS (Channel 5)
• KGO-ABC (Channel 7)
• KNTV-NBC (Channel 11)
• KSTS-Telemundo (Channel 48) - Spanish Language

Check your television provider's channel listings, some cable providers and facility provided television such as hotels, schools, gyms, and hospitals broadcast these stations on different channels.

Social Media

Some X (formerly Twitter) accounts to check during an emergency are: 

• City of Oakland @Oakland
• Oakland Fire Department @OaklandFireCA
• Alameda County Office of Emergency Services @AlamedaCoAlert
• National Weather Service Bay Area @NWSBayArea

Did you know? Weather radios can provide more than just weather information! They can also provide public safety alerts including AMBER alerts, notification about hazardous materials spills, and 9-1-1 telephone outages.

A weather radio is a crucial tool for emergency preparedness, providing timely and reliable information during severe weather events and public safety incidents. A functioning weather radio can provide timely information when cell phones and internet services may be overloaded or damaged.

Not all radios are able to receive National Weather Radio frequencies. Get a weather radio that has the NOAA Weather Radio symbol or the Public Alerts symbol on the packaging. Some radios can also be programmed to only receive alerts specific to your area filtering out unnecessary notifications. Check manufacturer specifications when deciding on a radio to purchase. 

An emergency operations plan, or EOP, is a document that describes how people, property, and the environment will be protected during an emergency.

The EOP:

• details who is responsible for carrying out specific actions
• establishes lines of authority and organizational relationships
• outlines how actions will be coordinated
• provides guidance for all-types of hazards which may impact the City throughout the year
• guides personnel in performance of their duties before, during, and through initial emergency recovery

In 2023, the City of Oakland updated its Emergency Operations Plan and is available in three parts.

Part 1: Base Plan

Part 2: Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)

Part 3: Hazard Specific Annexes

The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) details our comprehensive mitigation strategy to minimize the impact of hazards. On June 15, 2021, the City of Oakland adopted the 2021-2026 LHMP. 

We are currently working on the update for the 2026 LHMP. Click to find out more about the LHMP as well as the 2026 update. Take a look at the Hazard Mapper on the page to see how your neighborhood would be impacted. 

View the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

Resilience hubs in Oakland are planned to support communities to become stronger, more self-determining, socially connected, and successful before, during, and after disruptions.

Learn more about Resilience Hubs in Oakland