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'Alert Seattle' system under review after Bite of Seattle shooting
Seattle relies on "Alert Seattle" to send out critical safety messages, but after it wasn't used during July's Bite of Seattle shooting, a full review is underway to figure out why people weren't informed on a number of levels.
SEATTLE - Sign-ups for Seattle's official emergency alert system spiked following the July "Bite of Seattle" shooting, as city leaders encourage residents to opt in to direct safety notifications.
Officials say the system, known as Alert Seattle, relies on city departments to transmit real-time warnings directly to subscribers' mobile devices, landlines, and emails. However, emergency managers emphasize that participation is not automatic.
Dig deeper:
"You have to opt in," said Tey Thach of the Office of Emergency Management. "You're not automatically in the system."
According to the official site, "AlertSeattle is the City of Seattle's official emergency alert and notification system," designed to "send alerts to the public during emergencies". The portal explicitly warns users about the necessity of registering contact details: "If you do not sign-up and register your contact information, you will not receive alerts on your preferred devices, and may miss out on receiving important safety information".
How to register for emergency notifications
What you can do:
Enrolling in Alert Seattle is free and takes only a few seconds to complete. Residents, commuters, and visitors can register by going directly to Seattle.gov/Alert.
Subscribers can customize how they receive alerts, including options for text messages, automated phone calls, or emails. Users can also choose notifications for broader conditions such as severe weather, power outages, and major public safety hazards.
Thach noted that interest in the system surged after gunshots rang out at the "Bite of Seattle" festival this summer. City officials report that roughly 83,000 people are currently signed up. They'd like to see hundreds of thousands more people opt in.
Seattle Emergency Operations Center. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Public review and system overhaul
Local perspective:
The increased community interest comes after the alerting platform went unused during July’s shooting incident, as residents and festival attendees were left without public safety information for nearly five hours.
"It's a way for the community to get informed and know about what's happening and what actions to take," Thach said, noting that city departments undergo training two to three times a year on sending emergency updates.
Following heavy public backlash over the delay, Mayor Katie Wilson requested a formal investigation by the Office of Inspector General to determine why information was stalled. In September 2026, Mayor Wilson signed an executive order to overhaul emergency response protocols, including what triggers an Alert Seattle warning.
City leaders have pledged expanded outreach to ensure residents remain informed during future crises.
"Yes," Thach said. "Only more training and more outreach and engagement from now on."
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.