Emergency Notifications
Read more to learn about York County's Rave Emergency Alert System and How You Can Stay Informed During Emergencies
What is Rave and why is it important?
Rave is a system that enables the agencies and towns within York County to provide you with critical and non-critical information in a variety of situations. This includes situations such as severe weather, planned and unexpected road closures, missing persons, evacuations, natural disasters, and public health concerns. Many agencies across York County, including the York County Emergency Management Agency and local towns, use Rave to communicate with the public.
Rave sends notifications via text message, a phone call, or email. How you receive information, depends on how you customize your account preferences.
You can sign up for Rave by creating a Smart911 profile at the following link: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=YorkCountyMaineEMA
Important Note: Be sure to create a Smart911 profile if you want to receive alerts from your local town. Otherwise, you will only receive countywide alerts.
What types of information can I receive through Rave?
When you create a Smart911 profile, you will have the option to choose from the alerting options shown here. They are General Alerts and Emergency Alerts.
*If you Text 226787 to Opt In without clicking on the link to make a Smart911 profile, you will only receive text message Emergency Alerts from York County
How can I get help creating or customizing my profile?
The York County Emergency Management Agency is happy to help. Please contact us either by calling 207-324-1578 or by emailing ema@yorkcountymaine.gov
Who is authorized to send messages through Rave?
Multiple agencies and towns across York County utilize Rave to provide information to the public. At the county level, the York County Emergency Management Agency is the only authorized sender.
At the local town level, Rave is administered by one or all of the following:
Local Fire Departments
Local Police Departments
Town Managers & Key Public Officials
How do I unsubscribe from Rave?
For people who joined by text: You can text STOP to 226787
For people who have made a member profile: To update your information & preferences or to delete your account, sign in to your Rave account.
If I don’t register for Rave, will I still be contacted during an emergency?
Keeping you safe and informed during emergencies is a priority. If you do not register for Rave, York County emergency officials will still attempt to contact you on your home and business telephone landlines using various data sources. The accuracy of these databases cannot be guaranteed and may not reflect current information, particularly if you have moved or changed telephone numbers recently. Also, many people no longer have residential landlines, preferring to use their mobile devices instead – these numbers are not contained in our data sources, unless you register them through Rave. Finally, if you do not register, you’ll miss out on other important information that you could use.
What is the difference between Rave and WEA/IPAWS?
Rave is a system in which you can opt in to receive critical and non-critical information in a variety of situations from both the county and your local town. Rave allows you to choose who you receive messages from, how you receive those messages and when you receive the messages.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): Consumers do not need to sign up to receive WEA messages. WEA allows government officials to send text-like messages targeted to specific geographic areas to customers who own WEA compatible mobile devices alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area.
Wireless companies volunteer to participate in WEA, which is the result of a unique public/private partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), and the United States wireless industry in order to enhance public safety.
Can I provide feedback to the York County EMA about what is written in a Rave notification?
We welcome feedback about how to improve the clarity and accuracy of emergency communication. If you have additional questions or comments about the content of Rave messages, send an email to ema@yorkcountymaine.gov
General Information on the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
The Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) is FEMA's national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts, to radio and television via the Emergency Alert System, and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio.
Find answers to frequently asked questions about IPAWS on the FEMA website here.