MH Alerts

 
 
What is MH Alerts?
MH Alerts is a new state-of-the-art emergency notification system implemented by the City of Maryland Heights to alert residents and businesses about emergencies and will provide essential, time-sensitive information quickly to our designated area.

How do I sign up?
Click on the "Sign Up" button above. This will take you our Member Portal where you will create a username and password. Those who register will provide some basic information. A phone number or email address is required. Please remember when registering that the more information you are able to provide us (cell phone numbers, landline phone numbers, email address, etc.), the more likely we will be able to successfully deliver a message to you during an emergency.

Adding your home address is required so that automatic weather alerts will be sent. You can choose to opt-out of automatic weather alerts. 

It's also important to note that registering on the Member Portal will ensure that you are in our contact list, we do have an ongoing database that has automatically pulled thousands of contacts to those who reside or have businesses within our city limits.

How does MH Alerts work?
Authorized Maryland Heights staff will create a voice, email or text message that is then quickly sent to contacts within our notification system database.

What type of messaging will be sent?
The main purpose of the system will be to deliver messages that pertain to the health, safety, or welfare of our community that is being directly affected by an emergency event. The City of Maryland Heights is scheduling a test notification for January 1, 2023 and may choose to periodically test the system.

Is there a way to check to make sure my information is correct in the database?
The City of Maryland Heights may already have your publicly available phone number in our database. To ensure that your contact information is accurate, please follow the steps to sign up and register your contact preferences. Click the blue "Click here to sign up" link at the top of the page to access the member portal. 

We highly recommend that you provide more than one contact preference (such as multiple phone numbers or email addresses). If MH Alerts is unable to reach you at your primary contact preference, it will go down the list to try to contact you at another number or email address that you provided until it is confirmed that you received the message.

Will my contact information be sold or shared with others?
Absolutely not. The information you provide will only be used for emergency notification purposes. We will not give or sell your information to any vendor or organizations.

If I no longer want to receive notifications, how do I unsubscribe or opt-out of future messages?
  • Scroll to the bottom of any email alert and click on the link that says 'unsubscribe here'. You can also log in to your account and delete your account (or change your contact methods).
  • If you received a text message, you can reply with "STOP" to opt-out.
  • If you received a phone call recording, you can press "0" to opt-out. 
  • It is important to note that if your information was publicly available, you are not able to opt-out of this database. The City of Maryland Heights is only allowed to utilize this resident and business database during life-threatening  emergencies. Those within this database will receive an annual test message on January 1 and will not receive another message unless a life-threatening emergency occurs. 

What type of phone lines can receive messages?
MH Alerts will be able to send notifications to both cell phones and landlines. Please note, that you may have to add your cell phone twice during the registration process -once to receive text messages and the second time for the ability to receive a voice recording.

Is this system able to call numbers that have an out-of-state area code?
Yes! The area code will not impact you from receiving a notification.

What will happen if I have call screening?
In most cases, you should still receive notifications. However, some pre-programming may be required if you utilize a call screening system on your phone.

If I receive a message, is there a way to repeat it?
The voice message will tell you at the end of the message what to press to repeat the message.

If I am not a resident, can I still receive notifications?
Yes. You can register via our Member Portal by clicking above and creating a profile to receive these emergency notifications.

If I do not register, will I still be contacted during an emergency?
If you do not register, officials will still attempt to contact you using publicly available information during an emergency. However, this information may not be accurate. That's why it's important to check your contact information by visiting the member portal and providing contact information. You will also be able to customize your contact preferences. All personal data is safe and secure and will only be used during emergency situations to receive important information.

If there's an emergency, should I still call 9-1-1?
If you have an emergency, immediately dial 9-1-1. MH Alerts does not receive requests for emergency assistance; it only pushes out information regarding emergency situations that have been reported.

The tornado siren went off and I did not receive an alert. Why did this happen?
The outdoor tornado warning sirens are maintained by St. Louis County Emergency Communications Commission. If the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for any areas within St. Louis County, these outdoor sirens will sound. However, MH Alerts is only activated when you are in the specific area impacted by the tornado warning.

For example, a tornado warning is issued for St. Louis County but the cities impacted do not include Maryland Heights. The tornado sirens will sound, but you will not receive a MH Alert because our area is not at risk. 

How will this system benefit our community?
"Having timely reliable information during a hazardous or emergency situation can be scarce," stated Public Relations Officer McComas. "MH Alerts will help to ensure that our residents and visitors receive real-time accurate information about critical events in our community." Not only will MH Alerts be used in effectively notifying the public of emergency situations, but the City will also utilize this system for internal communication. "This will be an incredible resource for our Police Dispatchers," said Sergeant Cliff House. "If a group of employees need to be called out during an emergency, dispatch will be able to do so in just a few clicks. Previously, this process was time consuming and in an emergency, you want to be as efficient as possible."

Who should I contact if I have questions?
If you need assistance or have questions, please contact the Communications Division at MHLife@marylandheights.com or call (314) 291-6550.
Stay informed stay safe