SA launches Alert SA app, now upgraded to cover severe weather, heatwaves, fires, floods and more

With the expansion of the Alert SA app, South Australians now have a more powerful tool to stay informed during emergencies. Emergency Services Minister Dan Cregan announced that improvements have been made to the mobile application, which was previously only for bushfire warnings.

The improved Alert SA app now includes additional alerts for severe weather conditions, heatwaves, urban fires, floods and hazardous materials. This move brings together communications from various state emergency services agencies into a comprehensive, multi-hazard platform.

According to Cregan, this refresh transforms the app into a multi-hazard platform, providing critical information across different emergencies to help South Australians stay safe. “Expanded capabilities and improved user accessibility allow the community to be informed as well as other information sources and channels,” Cregan said.

The revamped app includes up to ten customizable Watch Zones where users can receive push notifications about events specific to their interests. Cross-border fire alerts now alert users to fire alerts within 100 kilometers of neighboring state and territory borders, a new functionality introduced in this update.

Designed with user experience in mind, the app features a modern interface that includes a start screen for first-time users, large text support, and voice-over options to aid accessibility.

SAFECOM Chief Executive Julia Waddington-Powell said: “We are delighted to launch the enhanced Alert SA mobile app. “These improvements will provide the South Australian community with the ability to provide timely information covering a wider range of hazards during emergencies,” he said, acknowledging extensive community and agency feedback that has shaped the updated app, which aims to enable residents to make informed decisions during emergencies.

Working closely with various safety agencies such as the SA Country Fire Service (CFS), the SA Metropolitan Fire Service and the SA State Emergency Service (SES) were pivotal in the development of this vehicle. CFS Deputy Director Georgie Cornish spoke about the importance of having multiple sources of information in emergency situations. “The Alert SA app helps you stay safe by providing you with an important additional way to receive timely updates on bushfires and other hazards,” Cornish said.

Meanwhile, SES Chief Officer Chris Beattie welcomed the introduction of SES alerts and incidents into the app; This marks the first integration of SES data since the app’s launch in December 2019. Beattie noted that this integration makes the application a single point of elevation. -up-to-date information for public alerts on the latest storms, floods and heatwave warnings and events. He reminded the community that they should continue to use other channels and not rely solely on any one source of information in emergency situations.

The updated Alert SA app is part of the State Government’s initiative and remains the only government-approved alert and warning app in South Australia. The app has been downloaded more than 380,000 times since its launch in 2019 and has provided more than 140 million notifications for more than 17,000 bushfire events.

A summer campaign across online, print, radio and social media platforms aims to promote the app’s advanced features and encourage the public to ‘Beware of Danger’.

South Australian residents can ensure they are well-prepared and informed for emergencies by downloading the latest version of the Alert SA app from the Apple App Store and Google Play.