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1. What is Star City Alerts?

Star City Alerts is the City of Roanoke’s official emergency alert and notification system. This system is used to send alerts to the public during emergencies. Star City Alerts is a free service that allows you to sign up online to receive customized alerts via text message, email, and voice message.

In addition to emergency alerts, you can also choose to receive customizable community notifications. These include notifications about severe weather, safety, health, utility disruptions, major traffic incidents, and more. This service is provided by the City of Roanoke at no cost to the public; however, message and data rates may apply.

2. Why should I sign-up for Star City Alerts?

When emergencies happen, be the first to know. The City of Roanoke uses Star City Alerts to send official, real-time alerts to the public with information about potentially life-saving actions they may need to take to keep themselves and their families safe. By signing up for Star City Alerts, you are taking a large step toward improving your personal safety.

3. How does it work?

When an emergency occurs that meets the criteria for sending out an alert to the public, the City of Roanoke’s emergency dispatchers will gather the necessary information and push out an alert to the affected area. Alerts can be sent out city-wide to everyone who has opted-in to the system, or to a specific area or neighborhood for more localized events.

4. How much does it cost?

This service is provided by the City of Roanoke at no cost to the public; however, message and data rates may apply depending on your provider and phone services.

5. Can you guarantee that I will receive notification if I register?

While Star City Alerts is an excellent system, we cannot guarantee that you will receive notification in all cases. Disasters and emergencies are chaotic and unpredictable, and notification is dependent on external providers such as your wireless carrier or email delivery service outside the City of Roanoke’s control. Star City Alerts will use several means of communications to try to ensure that should any one communications method, technology, or delivery option be unavailable to reach residents, other methods will be used to improve the likelihood that citizens will see the message.

6. How do I sign-up for Star City Alerts?

Signing up for Star City Alerts is easy! Go to https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=roanokeva and register your contact information. To update your existing Star City Alerts preferences, click here.
 

7. Who can sign-up for Star City Alerts?

Star City Alerts is available to anyone who lives, works, travels through, or visits the City of Roanoke. The address can be your home location, work location, or any other location you care about.

8. I don’t own a computer – who can help me sign-up for Star City Alerts?

You can visit your local library to sign up online for Star City Alerts. 

9. What types of alerts will I receive?

Emergency alerts are sent 24/7 when there is an immediate threat to life and/or property. In addition to emergency alerts, you can also choose to receive customizable community notifications. These include notifications about:             o Severe weather
                                                        o Safety risks
                                                        o Health risks
                                                        o Transportation disruption
                                                        o Special event information
                                                        o Test messages

10. Can I call the alert phone number back or reply back to the email?

You are not able to reply to texts or emails sent by Star City Alerts. Voice messages provide a dial-back number to replay an alert message.

11. When will I start receiving alerts?

Once you have signed up online at https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=roanokeva and confirmed your contact information within the system, you will begin receiving alerts.

12. How do I update or remove my notification preferences and contact information used by Star City Alerts?

Follow the below steps to change your Star City Alerts preferences (for example, to reduce the number of messages of a certain type, or to change the contacts used for each kind of message):

1. Go to Login page for Star City Alerts 

2. Login using your Star City Alerts username and password (If you’ve forgotten these, follow the instructions on the page under “Forgot Username or Password?”)

3. Once signed in, click the ‘Preferences’ tab at the top

4. Under ‘Notification Preferences’, you can make changes to both the phone numbers and email addresses on which you want to receive Star City Alerts messages by clicking or unclicking the checkboxes

5. You can also choose what alerts you want to receive and the method you wish to receive them by (text, voice, email)

a. For example, if you wish to turn off all messages regarding Transportation Disruptions, simply uncheck the box to the left of “Transportation Disruption”

b. If you wish instead only to receive emails for Transportation Disruption notifications, instead uncheck the “Text” and / or “Voice” choices, so that only “Email” remains checked

13. How often will I receive alerts?

The frequency for which you receive alerts depends on the addresses you provide and the types of alerts you select to receive as well as the frequency of actual emergencies. Emergency alerts will only be sent when there is an immediate threat to life and/or property. Community notifications will be sent when the criteria for sending an alert are met. This system is not intended to bombard you with information. The City of Roanoke will only send you alerts about the information you select to receive. To change your alert settings, login to Star City Alerts and edit your preferences.

14. How does the Star City Alerts system respond to busy signals or no-answer situations?

If a call completes and is sent to your answering machine or voice mail system, a message is left. If a phone call is not answered or busy, the system redials your number several times.

15. Will my information be disclosed or shared?

No, your information is private and will not be used or distributed in any manner. The information that you provide is exempt from public disclosure and will be used for emergency purposes only.

16. What precautions are taken to protect personal contact information stored in the Star City Alerts system?

Personal information provided to Star City Alerts is private and only used to notify you for official City of Roanoke communications and to support the City of Roanoke’s emergency services. Your information is not used for marketing purposes and will not be sold to telemarketers or data-mining organizations. A variety of “opt-in” mechanisms are available to ensure you are getting just the messages you want to receive, delivered via the devices and communications modes that you choose. Star City Alerts utilizes the highest standards in physical and computer security technologies and conducts regular audits to ensure all information is kept secure. Privacy policies are also outlined in the Terms and Conditions you review when you sign up to receive Star City Alerts notifications.