Frequently Asked Questions

Chesapeake Alert is an automated subscription notification system. It is a valuable resource for receiving timely information about Chesapeake government news, programs, services, meetings and more.

You can receive information via email, telephone, or cell phone depending upon the list.

• How do I register?
• What kind of messages will I receive?
• Can I receive an Instant Text Message from the system?
• How do I manage my account?
• Tell me more about emergency notifications.
• What if I need additional help?

How do I register?

To use the Chesapeake Alert system, all that is required is a valid email address. You can only register an email address one time in the system.

To register or access your account, go to: http://chesapeakealert.cityofchesapeake.net/

For new users, click on "Please register here if you do not have an account" and follow the steps. You will receive an email confirming your registration.

When your go to the confirmation page, you will sign in and be able to enter your contact information and select the notifications you would like to receive.

Currently, the City has a list of home telephone numbers associated with addresses that will be used for emergency notifications only. If you would like to be called on your cell phone when there is an emergency in the area near your home or business, please be sure to complete the address and telephone number boxes as well. Tell me more about emergency notifications.

When you are finished, click on the Create New Account button. You will immediately receive a confirmation message. Click on the link in the message, and this will validate your account.

From this page, you can edit your account information and select which notifications you would like to receive.

What kind of messages will I receive?

Currently, there are notices from Emergency Management, Public Communications, Public Works and Parks and Recreation. More messages will be added soon.

Can I receive an Instant Text Message from the system?

Yes. Note that the message may be cut off if it is longer than what your cell phone allows. The average is 160 characters. If you want to make sure you receive the entire message, register your email account, too.

To receive an text message on your cell phone, you will need to enter it as an email address. Here's how:

Enter your 10 digit cell phone number with no spaces in the format below:

• T-Mobile Example: yourphonenumber@tmomail.net
• Verizon Example:yourphonenumber@vtext.com
• Sprint Example: yourphonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
• Nexel Example: yourphonenumber@messaging.nextel.com
• AT&T Example: yourphonenumber@txt.att.net
• Metro PCS: yourphonenumber@MyMetroPcs.com
• Virgin Mobile: yourphonenumber@vmobl.com
• Boost Mobile: yourphonenumber@myboostmobile.com
• Ntelos: yourphonenumber@pcs.ntelos.com

Anyone can send a text to your cell phone from an email account using these formats.

How do I manage my account?

After you log into the system, you will see the three tabs: Home, Edit My Account, and Edit My Alerts.

• Home is a brief explanation of the system.
• Edit My Account gives you the opportunity to change contact information such as address, phone number, email address, etc, the ability to change your account password and also the ability to change you contact times, or the times you want to receive information from Chesapeake Alert. In addition you have the ability to remove your account if you so choose.
• Edit My Alerts is where you can select what information you wish to receive from the City of Chesapeake. This is where you can select what you want and how you desire to receive it. Presently we offer communication to telephone, fax, email, and TTY devices.

Tell me more about emergency notifications.

The City receives a updated list of telephone numbers and their addresses each week. These numbers can be used for emergency purposes only and will not be shared with anyone. Having this list allows the City to call targeted geographic areas, so if there is an emergency that only affects Deep Creek, only people in that area are called. If you would like to receive these messages on your cell phone, you will need to enter your cell phone number and address in the registration form. If you live outside of Chesapeake and would like to receive notifications specific to an area (for example, your business or home of someone in your family), simply enter your phone number and that address.

What if I need additional help?

City staff is available to add information into the system for you. Call (757) 382-CITY (2489) for help.

Thank you for using Chesapeake Alert.