Emergency Notifications

Residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert Iowa, Smart911, and Notify Me to stay informed in an emergency.

  • The Alert Iowa emergency notification system is used to alert residents by voice call, text message, or email during emergencies and some other events such as odd/even snow route policy implementation.
  • Smart911 is a service allowing residents to provide 911 dispatchers and emergency personnel information about your residence, family, and even pets, before an emergency occurs.
  • Street detours and construction alerts can be received via email or text message using the Notify Me system. 

The City DOES NOT directly notify residents of severe weather but National Weather Service alerts are delivered through Alert Iowa.  (Alert Iowa subscribers must select those notification options.)  Dubuque County Emergency Management recommends that residents have a weather radio and use it as a trusted source during severe weather.  However, in the event of a disaster, the City will be in contact with local media (TV, radio, and newspaper) to keep residents informed, and will utilize the City's social media channels and the News Releases category under Notify Me to inform subscribers.  

Alert Iowa

Alert Iowa  

The City of Dubuque uses Alert Iowa, a free emergency notification service that allows local emergency officials to notify Dubuque County residents and businesses by telephone, cell phone, text message, email, social media, and the Smart 911 mobile alert app of emergency situations and time-sensitive news. This is in addition to traditional means of communication used by the City of Dubuque and Dubuque County.

Alert Iowa is used to notify residents and stakeholders of important issues, including:

  • Emergency Evacuation Notices
  • Natural Disaster Response
  • Boil Water Advisories
  • Public Health Crisis
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Missing Children/AMBER Alerts
  • Criminal Activity

Alert Iowa is also used to notify residents who live on Dubuque’s snow routes when the City’s odd/even snow route policy is implemented. Residents can opt-in to receive these specific alerts when registering. 

Registering Your Number with Alert Iowa

Residents should register their number with the service to ensure their number is in the database and can be reached with critical information during an emergency. Residents can also add an alternate number, such as a cellular phone, to their record if they wish. Providing an alternate phone number will cause both the primary and alternate phone numbers to be contacted in the event a call goes out for the address specified.

Only authorized local officials have access to the Alert Iowa system. When you register your phone number to receive Alert Iowa notifications, your contact information remains private and will only be used for community notifications.

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Smart 911

Smart911 is a free, optional service to Dubuque and Dubuque County residents. It allows residents to create a "safety profile" for their household or business that can include information they may want 9-1-1 dispatchers and first responders to have in the event of an emergency

After a safety profile is created, if someone from a participating household calls 9-1-1, their safety profile will immediately display on the call taker’s screen, saving critical time in response to the emergency and providing critical information to responders.

Smart911 is secure and private, and information submitted is only made available to 9-1-1 call takers and responders in the event a participant calls 9-1-1. Smart911 also allows participants to link both home and work addresses to mobile phones.

All information is optional and participating households have the ability to choose what details to provide. Safety profiles can include detailed information on household residents such as photos, medical or behavior conditions, and prescriptions. They can also include emergency contacts, pet information, vehicle details, utility information, and floor plans. These details can be beneficial in situations where a caller cannot fully communicate. The service also gives dispatchers immediate access to information about medical issues, medications, and allergies to help avoid allergic reactions or dangerous medication combinations during emergency treatment. In the case of a missing child, a safety profile can display a recent photo and physical description for immediate distribution to law enforcement.