Starting today, the City and County of Honolulu officially launches its new real- time, mass-notification system to inform the public about severe weather, beach and ocean safety conditions, drinking water issues, evacuations, road closures and other community updates.
Called HNL Alert, the latest city Department of Emergency Management system will issue alerts as text messages, push notifications or emails during an emergency or disaster situation on behalf of the city to residents and visitors alike. These messages also will be sent in close collaboration with other first-responder agencies.
Alerts about traffic, Oahu’s drinking water system and ocean safety will be issued by the Honolulu Police Department, the Board of Water Supply and the Department of Ocean Safety, respectively. Additional city departments will be brought into the system as HNL Alert expands, city officials said Monday.
“HNL Alert allows the city to communicate much more detailed instructions and updates with residents and visitors,” city Emergency Management Acting Director Jennifer Walter said in a statement. “We want to give people as much information as we can to help empower them to make the best choices for their safety.”
“With HNL Alert, we can send you updates about developing situations so you can make the decision to leave early if you feel unsafe or need more time,” she added. “HNL Alert is a tool that we can use in addition to our existing emergency alert systems.”
There are two ways to sign up for HNL Alert.
The first includes customized alerts whereby users can create an account at hnlalert.gov Opens in a new tab. With an account, users can select the topics they want to receive alerts about and pick any combination of text messages, email alerts or mobile push notifications from the city’s public safety agencies via the Everbridge app.
To use the app, residents can enter one or more addresses to receive targeted alerts about events affecting specific areas such as their neighborhood or near their workplace. Users can also make changes to preferred alert topics or methods at any time.
The second way to sign up is to gain so-called urgent alerts. To receive these, text “HNLALERT” to 888777 to quickly subscribe and get the most important safety alerts by text. No registration is needed for this option, the city said.
To receive alerts, users will need to have up-to-date contact information. If a user’s contact information changes, those changes can be made on the user’s profile at hnlalert.gov.
A user’s personal information will not be shared, according to the city. The user’s provided information will be used only for notification purposes and not be sold or used by another vendor or organization, city officials said.
HNL Alert is used in addition to emergency warning systems that do not require sign-up. Those include wireless emergency alerts, or WEAs, that sound on mobile devices, sirens and Emergency Alert System messages that interrupt radio and TV.
While these warning systems are intended for use during urgent emergencies, HNL Alert messages can keep residents and visitors informed about developing weather conditions and other situations affecting city services.
HNL Alert messages can contain more details, include images and links to real-time information, and don’t disappear quickly from a mobile device. This means users have more time to read and understand the information or share it with others, city officials said.
HNL Alert utilizes Everbridge, the system’s vendor, for what the city says is an “industry leading public notification system used by numerous public and private entities around the globe.”
The new system, which informally launched in March, replaces the city’s prior system, HNL.Info Alerts.
But other functions of HNL.Info Alerts are still available on the website or app. The first messages were sent to current HNL.info Alert users on March 25, notifying them of the change and to receive instructions on how to transition to HNL Alert, the city said.
The HNL Alert/Everbridge platform allows for additional features HNL.info was not able to provide. These include automation of weather messages from the National Weather Service, geotargeting of messages, and a quick text to subscribe for event-based messages that allows the city to engage with visitors more efficiently. Everbridge also connects social media accounts to these messages.
“In times of emergency, getting accurate, timely information can make all the difference,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement. “But it is not just about receiving alerts — it is about taking personal responsibility and acting on them.”
“We urge everyone to sign up, stay informed, and be prepared,” he added. “The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be.”
Although HNL Alert is free, messaging and data rates could apply depending on the user’s mobile provider.
To unsubscribe from HNL Alert, users can follow the instructions in any HNL Alert email or remove contact information from account profiles. Those subscribed to urgent text alerts only can text “STOP.”
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For more information about HNL Alert, visit honolulu.gov/dem Opens in a new tab.
Correction: The last name of Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao was misspelled in the captions of the photos accompanying this story.
