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Police - GeoCast

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1. What is GeoCast and why is it important?

In the event of an emergency, GeoCast is an emergency warning tool used to make rapid emergency telephone notifications to residents and businesses in the affected area. GeoCast will be used by City of Aurora emergency officials to deliver incident specific information or potentially life saving instruction.

2. How does GeoCast work?

GeoCast is a web based application that integrates mapping technology with telephone databases, in order to provide recorded or computerized text to speech notifications to people in precisely targeted geographic areas. In essence, to issue GeoCast emergency notifications, trained emergency officials will (1) draw a "call out" area on a map, (2) record an emergency message, and then (3) hit the "activate" button.

3. Does the GeoCast system have my phone number already?

All landline phones residing within Aurora city limits are already included in the GeoCast system. This information is obtained from 911 and commercial databases. However, all cellular phones or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones are NOT automatically included. You must self register your cellular or VoIP phone numbers.

4. What if my home phone number is unlisted?

All listed and unlisted landline phone numbers (residing within Aurora city limits) should already be included in the GeoCast system.

5. Do I have to pay for this service?

No. The City of Aurora provides this critical service to enhance public safety. However, receiving a call on your cellular phone may deduct minutes from your cell phone plan. Calls will typically be less than two minutes. Text message rates also apply.

6. Will I receive nuisance calls?

No. The City of Aurora respects your privacy. GeoCast will only be used for EMERGENCY notifications, and will be issued to specific geographic areas (depending on need). You can opt in to receive crime alerts and public service messages.

7. I have an answering machine...If I'm not home, will GeoCast leave a message?

If an answering machine picks up the call, the emergency message will be left on the machine. If your phone line is “busy,” the system will attempt a redial.

8. I am hearing impaired and I have a TTY/TDD device....Will I still be able to receive emergency notifications?

Yes. TTY/TDD devices are automatically detected by the GeoCast system.

9. I don't have a landline telephone. Can I still receive GeoCast emergency notifications?

Yes, but you must self register using an online Self Registration Portal or by completing a hard copy registration form. If at all possible, please try to use the Self Registration Portal first.

10. Does GeoCast send out emergency text messages?

GeoCast does send text messages. You have to elect to receive them on the self registration portal.

11. I don’t live in Aurora, Can I sign up to receive emergency notifications for incidents happening in that area?

Yes. When self registering, simply use the address in the area you wish to “watch.” You
may list up to three phone numbers to receive emergency notifications for emergencies happening in that area.

12. Can I “watch” more than one address?

Yes, but you must sign up using a different email address. The email address is your unique identifier. You can only attribute one street address to an email address. Of course, for each location (and therefore for each email address), you may list up to three phone numbers.
Note: only locations residing within Aurora city limits are built into our system.

13. Will registering my cellular phone replace or “overwrite” my landline home phone?

No. Self registrations are unique from, and in addition to, the automatically included landline telephone database.

14. I changed my cell phone number. Can I update my information?

Yes, just log into the Self Registration Portal and update. There is no limit to the number of times you can change your information, and in fact, we urge you to do so as often as necessary in order to keep your information current. However, should your email address change you will need to create a new profile (and delete the current one).

15. I don’t want to receive GeoCast emergency notifications on my cell phone anymore… Can I cancel my registration?

Yes. Simply log into the Self Registration Portal and delete your profile by clicking “Delete Your Account."

16. How will I know if my cell phone is properly registered in the system?

Once you complete and submit all required fields at the Self Registration Portal, you will receive a verification email. You must respond to the verification email to complete the registration process.

17. What if I don’t receive the verification email?

Your email provider may consider the verification email as spam. Check the “Spam” folder in your email account.

18. What is the purpose of the map on the right-hand side of the Self Registration Portal screen?

This map is to help better identify your exact location. After you enter your address, you can move the push pin around the map. Hint: use the right mouse button.

19. What if my address is not reflected accurately on the map? Can I fix this?

First, be sure you entered your address correctly. If accurate, you may adjust your location by simply moving the pushpin found on the map. This is accomplished by right-clicking on the pin and moving your mouse to reflect your proper position.

20. What if I forget my password?

Like most websites requiring login credentials, the Self-Registration Portal includes a “Forgot my Password” option.

21. What are the limitations of GeoCast?

As with any single warning system, there are limitations. While GeoCast utilizes state of the art technology, phone switches still have a finite capacity. In order to prevent a massive surge of calls exceeding switch capacity it is necessary to limit the number of concurrent calls the phone system is able to make. This in turn means that not everyone will be called at the same time. Especially on larger notifications, it may take some time to reach everyone. In addition, just because a phone call is made…it doesn’t mean that someone answers.

22. Is this the only emergency warning tool that the City of Aurora uses?

Absolutely not! GeoCast is used in conjunction with other methods of distributing emergency warning and alerts, such as:

• Coordination with local media outlets
• The Outdoor Warning System (sirens)
• The Emergency Alert System (emergency broadcasts)
• And more!

No single tool will provide enough warning to all residents in all situations. Each emergency warning method has its limitations. GeoCast is only one component of the overall warning system and should NEVER be replaced as your only means of emergency notification. It is always important to pay attention to your surroundings by monitoring local radio, television, web or official social media sources, or use tools such as an All-Hazards NOAA Weather Radio.