Only call 000 (TTY 106) if you are in critical need of emergency services (police, fire or ambulance)
This website does not contain emergency information or warnings.If you require emergency information, click on your State or Territory below.
Disclaimer
The material on this website (Material) is provided for general information only. This website has been compiled by the State of Victoria from information obtained from sources within the Australian Government, State, and Territory Government agencies and those non-government bodies having been identified as relevant to Australian emergency management issues and is subject to change without notice.
The State of Victoria has used its best endeavours to ensure that the Material is correct and current at the time of publication but makes no warranty, express or implied that the Material is accurate, authentic or complete and takes no responsibility for any error, omission or defect.
The Material must not be relied on as a statement of government policy or as professional advice on any particular matter. You are responsible for making your own assessment of the Material and should verify all relevant representations, statements and information with your own professional advisers.
The internet is not a secure medium and communications to and from the website may be intercepted or altered in transit. The State of Victoria does not warrant or represent that this website or any linked sites, are free from anything which may damage any computer used to access this website.
To the extent permitted by law, the State of Victoria and its employees and agents are excluded from liability (including liability by reason of negligence) for any loss, damage, cost or expense, whether direct, indirect, consequential or specific caused by use or reliance on this website.
You must view this website in full screen format. The State of Victoria is not responsible for the display of this website in any other format.
Applicable Law
This website (excluding any linked third party sites) is controlled by the State of Victoria. By accessing this website, you accept that any disputes about this website or its contents are to be determined by the courts having jurisdiction in the State of Victoria in accordance with the laws in force in the State of Victoria (except any principle of conflict of laws inconsistent with this requirement).
This website may be accessed throughout Australia and overseas. The State of Victoria makes no representation that the content of this website complies with the laws (including intellectual property laws) of any country outside Australia. If you access this website from outside Australia, you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all laws in the place where you are located.
Links
This website provides links to external websites for your convenience only. The State of Victoria does not control and cannot be liable for these websites. The State of Victoria does not endorse any external website or any associated organisation, product or service and does not warrant that material on any external website is accurate, authentic or complete.
Your use of any external website is governed by the terms of that website. The provision of a link to an external website does not authorise you to reproduce, adapt, modify, communicate or in any way deal with the material on that site.
The inclusion of any email addresses on this website is not consent to receiving unsolicited commercial electronic messages or SPAM.
Downloadable documents
The State of Victoria makes available to you the provision to download particular documents, on the conditions set out below. If you do not agree with these conditions, you should not download the material.
Conditions
- Downloadable material on this website is provided on the basis that upon downloading you will conduct such virus scanning and other checks as may be necessary to ensure that the downloaded material will not corrupt in any way your data, software or systems or those of any other person.
- You acknowledge and agree that the State of Victoria will not be under any liability to you for any loss or damage including consequential loss or damage however caused, whether by negligence or otherwise, that arises in any way from the use of the downloaded material.
- If you provide the downloaded material to another party, then you should bring to the attention of that other party these conditions and only provide the downloaded material on the same conditions as those on which the original downloaded material was provided to you by the State of Victoria.
Amendments
The State of Victoria reserves the right to amend the terms of use of this website and the Materials it contains from time to time. Such an amendment will be effective immediately from the time that the amended terms are posted on this website.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know that the message is authentic?
0444 444 444 is the number assigned to Emergency Alert. This number will always be displayed in the message header or caller identification.
When will I be able to receive a message on my mobile phone based on the location of the mobile phone at the time of the emergency?
On 13 January 2012, the Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Robert McClelland MP and Acting Victorian Premier Peter Ryan announced that the Victorian Government has signed a contract with Telstra to enhance the national Emergency Alert telephone warning system to deliver a Location Based Warning System to the Telstra network by November 2012. Negotiations with the other two telecommunications carriers are continuing. For more information on receiving telephone-based emergency warnings, please see the fact sheet receiving telephone-based emergency warnings.
How many times has Emergency Alert been used?
Since Emergency Alert became operational on 1 December 2009 it has been used 344 times and issued approximately 7.2 million messages. The system has been used in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory for a range of emergencies. These include storm, flood, tsunami, bushfire, storm surge, chemical incident and missing person emergencies.
(Current as of 7am 17 January 2012)
Why isn't the message going to mobile phones based on the location of the mobile phone at the time of the emergency?
It was not technically possible to incorporate a location based capability and have the existing system operational for 1 December 2009.
The capability to send warnings to mobile phones based on the location of the handset has been funded by the Federal Government. Telstra is the first of the telecommunications carriers to sign up to deliver a capability to provide warnings to mobile phones by their location. This will be implemented in November 2012.
Victoria continues to lead the negotiations with the other two mobile carriers on behalf of all States and Territories.
When will it be used?
In the case of an emergency, you may receive a voice message on your landline or a text message on your mobile phone. It is for use in a range of emergency situations, including bushfires and other extreme weather events.
What is Emergency Alert?
Emergency Alert is a telephone warning system that emergency services can use to send alerts to communities via landline telephones based on the location of the handset, and to mobile phones, based on the service address of the phone.
Will I get an alert that’s not relevant to me?
Emergency Alert is operated and activated by authorised personnel from emergency services organisations. It allows for localised, community based warnings to be issued by area or geographic region to landlines and to mobile phones based on the service address of the phone.
