Want to stay informed about basically anything that will affect New York City, from storms to transit snags? There’s an app for that.
New York City has a new app called Notify NYC to help you stay informed about emergency events and city services.
The Notify NYC app was officially launched on Friday by the New York City Emergency Management Department and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
It’s New York’s first emergency notification mobile app, according to the city, and is available for free on Apple and Android devices.
The app will give real-time emergency updates “on events from hurricanes to blizzards, to major traffic and mass transit disruptions, public health hazards, school closings and unscheduled parking rule suspensions,” according to a release from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office.
“It’s crucial that New Yorkers know what’s going on around the city, especially in an emergency,” de Blasio said in a statement. “This new app will make it easier than ever to stay informed and get alerts about what’s happening – both nearby and citywide.”
Stay informed with the new @NotifyNYC app, available for iOS and Android devices! https://t.co/1afDhwPlk5 pic.twitter.com/fEHL2PTdQZ
— NYCEM (@nycoem) September 22, 2017
The app is part of the Notify NYC program, which started as a pilot program in Dec. 2007 and has since sent out more than 9,400 notifications about local emergencies.
The app has several features, from a map that will provide detailed information on the locations of emergencies in relation to your own location to a “receive all” mode that lets you access every notification, regardless of your own location or the emergency’s topic.
Users can also receive messages simply based on their current location to stay informed about what’s right around them and allowing the alerts to follow you around the city. New Yorkers can also include up to five addresses so the app can receive alerts that are specific to where you and your family lives, works, or attends school.
“In an emergency situation, we want New Yorkers to have the information they need in the palm of their hands,” said Anne Roest, commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, in a statement. “That’s why Notify NYC app is a game-changer, providing real-time emergency notifications and crucial updates based on geolocation.”
