City reveals public emergency alert and notification system “AlertSeattle”

Last night around 6:30 p.m., a loud disturbance– thought to be an explosion due to brief subsequent smoke– was heard on 58th near Ballard Commons.

UPDATE: The Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene and couldn’t find the source of the explosion. “There was no smoke or fire. We referred the case to SPD to investigate,” says Public Information Officer Kyle Moore.

Meanwhile, news of an emergency notification system has been debuted by the City of Seattle.

Seattle police officers, firefighters and emergency management staff are spreading the word about AlertSeattle, a new, real-time emergency alert and notification system. With AlertSeattle ready for action, Seattle now has a convenient way to send messages to the public with information on what to do when emergencies like earthquakes, explosions, flooding or other disasters happen.

In addition to emergency alerts, the public can also sign-up  for the free system to receive community notifications about severe weather, safety, health, utility service disruptions, major traffic incidents, preparedness events and more.

“AlertSeattle will provide real-time emergency alerts and notifications, serving as a unified and official voice from the City of Seattle,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “These notifications will improve safety in our city and help inform city residents and visitors of potentially lifesaving actions they may need to take during emergency events.”

Barb Graff, Director of Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management, encourages Seattle residents and visitors to enroll. “With AlertSeattle, individuals receive official communication directly from the City of Seattle. People can customize what alerts they want to receive and how they want to be notified. Getting good information out quickly is critical during emergencies, and AlertSeattle is an excellent tool for people to stay informed.”

If you live, work, travel through or visit Seattle, you are invited to sign up at alert.seattle.gov. The service itself is provided by the City of Seattle.