Alert Information

In our county there are a variety of alert methods used to keep the public informed about emergencies or potential emergency situations. We have developed this page to provide you with access to these systems and we encourage you to take full advantage of them.

To view current information about alerts or developing situations that may adversely affect our campuses or facilities, please visit the Alert Bulletins page.

When an alert has been issued or an emergency is in progress, we will make every effort to update the Alert Bulletins page and provide you with the most current information available. We recommend that you save this page in your "Favorites" folder or on your browser desktop to provide quick access during an emergency.

Community Warning System (CWS)

Contra Costa County's Community Warning System (CWS) uses a system of outdoor sirens to alert the community and emergency responders whenever a significant hazardous materials incident occurs. CWS sirens have not been placed in all communities, but when activated they may be heard at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, the District Office in Martinez, and Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. When activated for an actual release, the sirens indicate that community members should go indoors and Shelter-in-Place.

When the CWS is activated, emergency officials recommend tuning to KCBS 740 AM for emergency information. If you have a television available, Bay Area television stations will also provide news reports, and should scroll information during the event.

Sirens are tested every Wednesday at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Emergency Alert System

Contra Costa County is one of the first locations in the country to utilize National Weather Service radios to receive hazardous materials alerts. In addition to receiving regional weather information, these radios are now available with technology that allows them to be programmed to receive notifications for specific geographic locations. When activated for an actual emergency, specific instructions will be broadcast for the affected area.

To receive local Shelter-In-Place advisories, county residents should purchase a weather radio with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) capability and program them as directed. Weather radios are readily available through electronic suppliers such as Radio Shack.

Like the Community Warning System (CWS), the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is tested every Wednesday at approximately 11:30 a.m.

For more information on this system or to obtain radio programming instructions, please visit the Contra Costa County Community Awareness & Emergency Response (CAER) website.

Emergency Digital Information Service (EDIS)

The Emergency Digital Information Service (EDIS) delivers official information about emergencies and disasters to the public and the news media in California. To view the latest EDIS bulletins, please visit the State of California OES EDIS website.

If you would like to receive automated e-mail messages on your computer or e-mail enabled pager via the EDIS system, please visit the EDIS Providers page.

U.S. Homeland Security Advisory System

The U.S. Homeland Security Advisory System uses color-coded threat levels to communicate with public safety officials and the public. The system identifies the threat level for a region (or regions) and the protective measures that may be implemented to reduce the likelihood or impact of an attack.

To view the current threat level or learn more about this system, please visit the United States Department of Homeland Security website.