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emergency-commsLast Reviewed: 2026-09-06

Emergency Alert & Warning Systems

Difficulty

beginner

Est. Time

30 minutes

Est. Cost

$0

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What has changed in this article

  1. October 11, 2026

    Corrected the county alert system: Contra Costa residents register with the Community Warning System (CWS), not AC Alert, which is Alameda County's system.

    • Section 1 now describes the Community Warning System (cwsalerts.com) instead of AC Alert (Alameda County's system), and the checklist was rewritten for it.
    • Added that Wireless Emergency Alerts need no registration, per the county.
    • Removed claims about AC Alert (Alameda County's system) settings that we could not confirm for CWS.

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