Suffolk fire officials are asking residents to register for SuffolkAlert during hurricane season so they can get emergency alert messages by text, email and voice message. Rudolph Sunderman said residents should turn on government alerts on their phones and act quickly if they are told to seek shelter or evacuate.
Rudolph Sunderman on SuffolkAlert
The Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Commissioner said, “hurricanes get headlines, but people need to remember just how quickly summer weather on Long Island can change.” He also said, “People need to stay informed to stay safe.”
SuffolkAlert is free to sign up for online, and residents can text SuffolkAlerts to 67283 and complete a profile. The county system can send warnings about emergencies, weather, road closures or other information that may benefit the public.
Government alerts settings
Officials are also telling residents to check that their government alerts settings are switched on for emergency alerts and public safety alerts. Suffolk and the National Weather Service send alert warnings to both general and specific locales, which means the phone setting has to be active if a resident wants those messages to reach them.
That gap is the practical problem here: a person can live in an area where warnings are issued and still miss them if the device setting is off. The message from Suffolk is simple and immediate, not theoretical — sign up, switch alerts on, and be ready to move calmly when told.
SuffolkAlerts to 67283
Rudolph Sunderman said that if residents are advised to seek shelter or evacuate, they should do so “calmly and promptly.” For residents, the next step is straightforward: enroll in SuffolkAlert now, then verify the phone’s emergency and public safety alerts are enabled before the weather changes again.
