City of Richmond
Office Of Emergency Management
900 E. Broad St., Suite 1613
Richmond, VA
23219 USA
Make a Kit, Have a Plan, Stay Informed
What is Richmond Ready Alerts?
Richmond Ready Alerts are a critical messaging system designed to keep those who live, work, and visit in Richmond informed about hazards or threats that could impact their safety. Residents and businesses located within Richmond City are encouraged to sign up for Richmond Ready Alerts to be sure they receive timely emergency notifications when alerts are issued.
Alerts are issued to you by your geographical location and can be sent to your mobile phone, land line, and email.
What types of events would prompt an alert?
- Public Health Alerts
- Severe Weather
- Unexpected Street Closures
- Utility or Water Service Outages
- Missing Persons in Immediate Danger
- Emergency Evacuations
- Crime-Related Active Threats
How do I Sign Up for Richmond Ready Alerts?
Sign up for Richmond Ready Alerts today! It's free for all residents and businesses! Just click on the Richmond Ready icon or follow this registration link. You will be asked to provide your contact information and select the types of alerts you want to receive. This quick and easy process can provide lifesaving information when it matters most!
Is Richmond Ready Alerts the same as Wireless Emergency Alerts?
No, Wireless Emergency Alerts are part of FEMA's National Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS). The IPAWS Alerting System provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts, radio, and television via the Emergency Alert System, and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio.
During an active or imminent emergency, the City of Richmond will first issue life-saving alerts through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system to quickly reach mobile devices in and around the impacted area. This ensures that those closest to the threat receive critical information in real time. Once the immediate danger has passed, we will send follow-up updates through Richmond Ready Alerts to subscribers who have opted in for city notifications.
What if my phone number or address changes?
The system is only as good as the information you provide. If any of your contact information changes, please go to your Richmond Ready profile and update the information.
Richmond Ready Alerts FAQ's
Richmond Ready is a critical alert messaging system designed to keep those who live and work in Richmond informed about potential hazards or threats that could impact their safety. The City of Richmond is utilizing the system Everbridge, a leading platform in critical event management platform, to ensure timely and effective emergency notifications.
- Public Health Alerts
- Severe Weather
- Unexpected Street Closures
- Utility or Water Service Outages
- Missing Persons in Immediate Danger
- Emergency Evacuations
- Crime-Related Active Threats
Absolutely! To get started, download the Public Safety by Everbridge app from the Apple or Google Play Store. Once you have downloaded the app, type in Richmond VA to find and add our locality as the organization you will receive alerts for.
There is no cost for Richmond Ready Alerts, however your cell phone provider may charge for text messages.
Richmond Ready offers multiple ways to deliver messages, including your mobile phone, home phone, and email. This allows the City of Richmond to deliver critical incident related messaging to you regardless of the device you have or your location. Once registered, the system can reach you within seconds by cycling through various voice and text options until all messages are delivered.
Each message you receive will provide you with details of the incident, actions you are advised to take, and will ask you to confirm receipt.
While Richmond Ready Alerts is an excellent system for receiving emergency notifications, it should not be your sole source for critical information. We encourage residents to use this alert system in conjunction with other methods for receiving information, such as the City of Richmond’s website and social media accounts, the National Weather Service, local news outlets, etc.
The City of Richmond’s Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response (DECPR), along with other public safety partners, will work together to determine when the system is activated. Alerts will be sent out by the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response.
Yes! You can easily add multiple locations, like your home and workplace. By entering different addresses, you'll receive timely alerts tailored to the specific areas that matter most to you.
The system is only as good as the information you provide. If any of your contact information changes, please go to your Richmond Ready profile and update the information.
Residents who want to receive alerts for their neighborhood without providing their home address can use the address of a nearby public building, such as a school, library, fire station, or their workplace.
All phone notifications will be sent from 804-646-8457 and 89361 for all text communications.
Absolutely not. Your information will be stored securely within the Everbridge system and will not be shared.
The new emergency alert system is not a direct response to the recent water outage. It was already in development prior to that event, and we expedited its launch due to the challenges we encountered during the outage. This upgrade will improve our ability to keep residents informed during emergencies and allow us to communicate vital information more effectively in the future. We believe this will make a significant difference for our community.
Yes, the new alert system will indeed notify residents about future utility outages, including any water disruptions. The City of Richmond upgraded to a more comprehensive emergency alert system to improve communication during emergencies.
