“Our team is continually working to update Notify NYC to ensure that users can easily access the information they want. With these new features, New Yorkers can further customize their alerts to stay informed about more localized transit disruptions or planned events. Notify NYC is one of the best ways to learn about emergencies in the city, and I encourage everyone to sign up for this free service,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito said.

The new Notify NYC alert options allow users to further customize notifications they currently receive. For example, general “Mass Transit Disruptions” is now divided into three categories: Local Mass Transit, Regional Mass Transit, and Ferry Disruptions.

Local Mass Transit — Alerts issued for planned or unplanned disruptions to mass transit within the five boroughs, including MTA subway and bus service.

Regional Mass Transit — Alerts issued for planned or unplanned disruptions to mass transit systems that operate outside the five boroughs, including NJ Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, Amtrak, and regional airports.

Ferry Disruptions — Alerts issued for planned or unplanned disruptions to ferry service in NYC.

In addition, events such as movie/TV filming, routine, non-military flyovers; drills and exercises; and planned fireworks displays will now appear under the “Planned Events” option, changing from “Significant Events” category, which continues to include information about utility outages, large fires, police activity, and other high-impact events.

To use the new Notify NYC features, subscribers can log into their account at NYC.gov/NotifyNYC and click on the “My Account” tab. Mobile app users should first download the latest version of updates for the app. Next, they can select the gear icon in the top right corner of the app screen to update their notification options. Notify NYC is an opt-in program. Personal information collected during the registration process remains confidential and is never used for purposes other than sending Notify NYC messages. Users can sign up to receive notifications based on up to five addresses. For additional privacy, users may input an intersection rather than an address and are not required to provide their name when signing up.

Notify NYC started as a pilot program in December of 2007 as a means to communicate localized emergency information quickly to city residents and went citywide in 2009. Since its inception, Notify NYC has sent out more than 13,000 notifications about local emergencies, and its subscribership has grown to more than 750,000 users. To sign up for Notify NYC, New Yorkers can call 311, visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, download the Notify NYC mobile application for iOS or Android, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter. Subscribers can receive alerts in several ways: phone, email, SMS, fax, Twitter, and mobile push notifications.

Non-English speaking subscribers have access to a link that lists the same message in 12 different languages, audio format, and American Sign Language (ASL). Notify NYC’s multilingual messages span a variety of emergencies including pre-scripted mass transit alerts, fire department activity, missing person(s) alerts, public health and safety notifications, utility alerts, weather alerts, drills and exercises, alternate side parking updates, downed trees notifications, and CSO advisories.

To learn more about the Notify NYC program or to sign up, visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC or call 311, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Omar Bourne (718) 422-4888