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AlertSite

AlertSite is a web portal providing accurate, up-to-date emergency message information.

1. Using AlertSite

1.1. Accessing AlertSite

AlertSite is the central web portal for an alert message feed. All of the messages being sent by the alert feed are available in a web based format, along with a current alert index, and a past alert archive. In order to access AlertSite you must have a web browser. Any modern web browser will work including Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, Opera, and Safari. The minimum screen resolution for AlertSite pages is 800x600. AlertSite also uses Javascript to enhance web pages, but it is not required to view any alert information. AlertSite web pages have been designed for fast loading and will work on both dialup and high speed Internet connections.

A New User Guide to AlertSite is available to all AlertSite users via the New User link on the main menu, or via the help section. All AlertSite users are encouraged to read this guide.

1.2. Alert Index Listing

The Alert Index Listing displays a list of the current and most recent alerts along with each alert's summary information. This is the home page for AlertSite and can be accessed via the Home link on the main menu. The information on the Alert Index is updated hourly, and immediately after any new alerts are posted. The Updated value, displayed in the top right hand corner of the page, shows the time of the most recent update.

A notice box is used to announce important information. The notice box will appear at the top center of the alert index page if something important needs to be announced. This could be an alert that has directed the public to take immediate action, such as a Shelter In Place, and will provide a link to further information.

Each new alert is listed on the alert index page. If you have not read the alert, a new alert icon will appear beside the alert's listing. The summary line displays the summary details for an alert. This includes whether the alert is a new message, an update, or a message cancel. Also the event type is included, along with the time the new message was posted. Underneath the summary line is the message headline, providing a quick summary of the alert message's contents.

The final item on the alert listing is the message level icon. These icons indicate the message's importance level. There are 3 general levels: Info - Green Icon - messages which aren't of an important nature to most users, but provide useful information, Warning - Yellow Icon - messages providing users with important information, Alert - Red Icon - messages of a critical nature that affect all users

Once an alert message is no longer active and applicable, it is considered expired. Expired messages will have a strike-through line to show this. Expired messages should not be acted upon.

1.3. Alert Information Page

The Alert Information Page displays the detailed values and information regarding an alert message. The Updated value shows the most recent date this alert was created, or had additional information added to it.

Alert messages can be one of the following types. Alert - initial message, Update - additional information about the original message, Cancel - information about why the original message is no longer in effect. The alert type and the identifier, a unique ID given to each message, are displayed at the top of the message information page.

A notice box is used to announce important information and will appear at the top of an alert. This could be an alert that has directed the public to take immediate action, such as a Shelter In Place, and will provide a link to further information.

A message is composed of 1 summary section, and 1 or more info blocks. The Summary Section holds the basic summary info about the message such as the source of the message, the time it was sent, and if there is an expires value, when the alert message is no longer in effect. The message level and status of this alert (active or expired) is also displayed in the summary section. Once expired an alert should no longer be acted upon.

If the message applies to a certain area, this area value will be displayed in the summary section along with any maps or other area info. Otherwise if no area value is listed, the message applies to all users of the alert system. If other alert messages are related to the alert message you are viewing, they will also be displayed. The current message will be highlighted and the other messages can be viewed by clicking their hyperlinked identifier values. The + and - icons can expand/contract both of these fields to make them easier to read.

An Info Block is the part of an alert message that contains all of the alert's descriptive information. There can be more than 1 info block and in that case, special tabs will appear that allow you to switch between each info block and its information. Info blocks may also be in different languages, for example English (en) and French (fr). The Event and Headline fields provide a summary of the information contained in the info block. The Description describes the alert and its causes. The Instruction provides instructions for readers to follow. Resources are supplemental information such as maps, pictures, and web links. Finally Updated Values, displays those values that have changed since the previous related message.

1.4. Message Archive

The Message Archive is accessed via the Archive link on the main menu. The archive is organized by year and by month. Choose the year you want to review and a list of months containing archived messages will be shown. Choose the month you want to review and a calendar for that month along with a full list of that month's alerts will be displayed.

Each day of the month that contains an alert message is listed. The calendar will have these days highlighted and you can click a day to jump to that part of the listing. For a particular day, all of the initial alert messages will be shown along with a quick summary of the alert message values including the event type, level icon, and headline. Click the message link to see the full alert information page.

2. Common Problems

2.1. Update Times

The Alert Listing Index is always updated hourly. If a new alert message is posted, then the alert index gets immediately updated again as part of the posting. This ensures that the index is always up to date with the most recent information. The Updated value at the top left corner of the page will show the most recent update time.

Alert Information pages are updated whenever new information is added to an alert. This could be during the initial creation of the message, or when new messages provide update or cancel information that relate to this message. The update time can also change when new information is added to the message as part of the archive process. The most recent update to an alert information page is shown in the Updated value at the top left corner of the page.

2.2. Alerts are displayed on AlertSite, but I don't get an email from AlertMail

AlertSite displays all alert messages that come from an alert feed. However AlertMail will only send select messages to your email account, based on a combination of filters and other settings. Therefore you will see a lot more messages on AlertSite than you will receive via email.

The most common type of alert message is an Info level message. This is represented on the AlertSite Index Listing by a green icon. Normally these messages are never sent to AlertMail subscribers. Unless you specifically request an Info level message for a particular event type, you will not receive these messages. Info level messages are used to provide details about developing situations that do not yet have any impact on the general public. If you want advance warning of these developments you can check the AlertSite index, or setup an event filter in AlertMail.