What Is NotifyChicago?
NotifyChicago is a new city service that provides residents with recorded telephone messages,
text messages and/or e-mail alerts on various emergency and non-emergency situations taking place
throughout Chicago.
Register today to receive up to date information on everything from weather related emergencies to traffic alerts.
Click here to register now.
Back to top
What Is Notify Chicago - Online Voluntary Registration?
Citizens can register in NotifyChicago to create their personal profile with their
cellphone, workphone or homephone numbers, email and address.
Once you submit your information, the system will automatically send you an email
to activate your account.
You have to click the link in the email, to activate your account.
And this will complete your registration process.
You can log in to NotifyChicago with the username and password, after activating the account.
You can also update your profile, communities or event types after log-in.
It is important that you keep your profile up to date.
Please log in to NotifyChicago often to ensure that your contact information is current.
Back to top
How Does NotifyChicago Work?
In the event of an emergency, the city's designated personnel will send recorded telephone messages,
text messages and/or e-mail alerts directly to the registered phones, emails, pagers, and/or fax,
using NotifyChicago system.
When the system tries to deliver the alerts to your phone number, and the line is busy or there's no answer,
it will try again after a defined time.
Check the messages promptly when you received the alerts and follow the instructions.
Additional instructions may follow throughout the emergency situation
so keep your phone near you.
Back to top
What Types Of Notifications/Alerts Will Be Sent?
Alert types may include life safety, fire, weather, accidents involving utilities or roadways,
or disaster notification such as a terrorist attack.
A few examples of the types of messages that can be sent are:
Emergency Situations:
Notify citizens of the additional important information.
Notify citizens of available evacuation routes during an emergency;
Activate Community Emergency Response Teams(CERT)
Precautionary Warnings:
Severe weather warnings;
Pre-cautionary evacuation order if on high alert
Planned Events, like parades and construction.
Back to top
How Many Devices/E-mail Addresses Can I Add To My Account?
You can add three telephone numbers, including home, work and cell phone numbers,
and one email address.
The email address you enter during the registration process should not be already in use.
Back to top
About Password Policy?
You have to change your password or confirmed once a year.
If you have exceeded a year, your account will be deactivated. At that time, you
will receive reactivation instructions via e-mail that will provide you with steps
to logging back into the system and letting you change your password.
To change or confirm your password, select "Update My Profile" menu after login,
enter your new password and click "Save" button.
Back to top
How To Activate My Account?
When you submitted your registration for NotifyChicago, or your account was deactivated,
you should have received a system-generated email with a link.
Click or copy and paste the link(URL) to your browser to activate your account.
If you have not received the email with URL, click How To Activate My Account and perform the following steps:
1. Enter your user name, email address and password in the text boxes.
2. Click "Send Email To Activate My Account" button.
3. Check your email and click the link in it to activate your account.
Back to top
How To Un-Subscribe From NotifyChicago?
To Un-Subscribe from NotifyChicago, log into the NotifyChicago with your user name and password,
and click "Unregister Me" link.
Back to top
I haven't received the voice/text messages on my phone.
What should I do?
It could be because your account has been deactivated.
If you have not changed/confirmed your password once a year, your account is deactivated.
In this case, go to "How To Activate My Account?" menu and follow the instructions.
If your account has not been deactivated, please log in NotifyChicago and go to "Update My Profile" menu.
Then check if your registered phone numbers are correct.
After changing or confirming your profile, click "Save" button to keep your profile up to date.
It is recommended to check your profile in NotifyChicago system as often as possible.
If you still have trouble, please contact us
at notifychicago@cityofchicago.org.
Back to top
I haven't received the alerts on my email. What should I do?
It could be due to one of the following reasons:
- The user account was deactivated:
If you have not changed/confirmed your password once a year, your account is deactivated.
In this case, go to "How To Activate My Account?" menu and follow the instructions.
- Wrong e-mail address was entered:
Please log in NotifyChicago and check if your registered email address is correct.
- SPAM filters blocked the emails from NotifyChicago system:
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) utilize various methods to prevent unsolicited
commercial e-mail (Junk mail or spam) from being delivered to users' mailboxes.
Some of these methods may mistakenly classify NotifyChicago alerts as such
and not deliver the alert to the recipient.
Go to FAQ for more information about how to prevent SPAM filters from blocking the alerts.
If you still have trouble, please contact us at notifychicago@cityofchicago.org.
Back to top
How Do I Prevent SPAM Filters From Blocking My Alerts?
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) utilize various methods to prevent unsolicited
commercial e-mail (Junk mail or spam) from being delivered to users' mailboxes.
Some of these methods may mistakenly classify Notify Chicago alerts as such
and not deliver the alert to the recipient. Each ISP has different set of steps
to follow to assure these alerts get delivered directly to the users' mailboxes.
Typically the sender's domain name must be added to an address book or 'safe list'.
To assure you receive Notify Chicago alert e-mail please add cityofchicago.org
to your address book or safe list. If you still have trouble, please contact us
at notifychicago@cityofchicago.org.
Back to top
Will I be charged?
Signing-up for NotifyChicago is free. However, you may be charged for incoming
calls, messages and data on your devices, depending on your service plan.
Please contact your mobile service provider to find out the cost.
Back to top
|