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Alert SA Mobile FAQs

Alert SA is the South Australian Government’s official website and app for emergency information. It shows current incidents, warnings, public notices, sandbag locations, and relief centres across South Australia, as well as nearby interstate fire warnings. It is the only government-endorsed public information and warning application for South Australia.

The Alert SA app can be downloaded from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play Store (Android). The app is free to download and does not require a login or sign-up.

Alert SA works on supported Apple and Android mobile devices.

  • Apple: iOS 16 and above.
  • Android: Android 12 and above.

If your device is not supported, you can still access emergency information on the:

The app shows information about:

  • Fire
  • Flood
  • Severe weather
  • Tree down incidents
  • Hazardous materials
  • Heatwaves
  • Sandbags
  • Emergency Relief and Recovery Centre Locations

It also provides Fire Danger Ratings, Total Fire Bans, emergency information, important contacts, and ABC Radio frequencies.

You will receive warning notifications for hazards affecting your Watch Zones. You can also choose to receive notifications for:

  1. Fire
  2. Flood
  3. Severe weather
  4. Hazardous materials
  5. Tree down incidents
  6. Sandbags
  7. Emergency Relief and Recovery Centre Locations

A Watch Zone is an area you choose to monitor. You can create up to 10 Watch Zones in South Australia and receive notifications about incidents and warnings in those areas.

You can create a Watch Zone in three different ways:

Option 1: Using the Watch Zone Menu

  1. Tap Watch Zone in the bottom navigation bar.
  2. Select your Watch Zone preferences.
  3. Tap Add Watch Zone.
  4. Enter a name for your Watch Zone and tap Save.

Option 2: Using the Map

  1. Find your preferred location on the map.
  2. Press and hold the location on the map.
  3. Tap Watch Zone.
  4. Enter a name for your Watch Zone and choose your preferences.
  5. Tap Save.

Option 3: Using Search

  1. Enter a location in the search bar above the map and select a result.
  2. Tap Watch Zone.
  3. Choose your preferences and enter a name for your Watch Zone.
  4. Tap Save.

You can edit or delete a Watch Zone in two ways:

Option 1: Using the Watch Zone Menu

  1. Tap Watch Zone in the bottom navigation bar.
  2. Select the Watch Zone you want to change.
  3. Update the name, location, or notification settings as needed.
  4. Tap Save to keep your changes or tap Delete to remove the Watch Zone.

Option 2: Using the Map

  1. On the map, tap the binoculars icon for the Watch Zone you want to change.
  2. Tap the Watch Zone preview at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Update the Watch Zone details as needed.
  4. Tap Save to keep your changes or tap Delete to remove the Watch Zone.

What is the difference between an incident and a warning?

An incident is an event that emergency services are responding to.

A warning tells you about a hazard that may affect you and what action you should take.

Tailoring your notification preferences helps you receive the alerts that matter most to you.

When creating a Watch Zone, you can choose which types of incidents you want to be notified about. This helps you stay informed about hazards that are important to you while reducing notifications you may not need.

Each Watch Zone can have its own notification settings, allowing you to personalise alerts for different locations.

  1. Create a Watch Zone (see "How do I create a Watch Zone?").
  2. Use the toggle buttons to choose which incident notifications you want to receive for that Watch Zone.
  3. A blue toggle means notifications are on.
  4. A grey toggle means notifications are off.

You can update your notification preferences at any time by editing your Watch Zone.

There are a few reasons why you may not be receiving notifications:

1. You do not have any Watch Zones set up.

Try: Creating a Watch Zone (see "How do I create a Watch Zone?").

2. The incident or warning is outside your Watch Zone.

Try: Increasing the size of your Watch Zone or creating another Watch Zone for a different area.

3. Notifications are turned off on your device.

Try: Checking your device settings and allowing notifications for the Alert SA app.

4. Your Watch Zone notification preferences are turned off for that type of incident.

Try: Reviewing your Watch Zone settings and turning on notifications for the incident types you want to receive.

A warning tells you about a hazard that is happening now or may happen soon.

It explains:

  • What the hazard is
  • How it may affect you
  • What you should do to stay safe

Always follow the advice in a warning to help keep yourself and others safe.

An incident is an accidental or deliberate event that requires a response from one or more emergency services.

If you cannot access the Alert SA app, incidents and warnings can be viewed by visiting the following websites: SA Metropolitan Fire Service Public Information and Warnings, SA Country Fire Service Incidents and Warnings Page or State Emergency Service Incidents and Warnings Page

The Australian Warning System (AWS) is a national approach to information and calls to action for hazards, including those displayed in the Alert SA Website. This system uses a nationally consistent set of icons and colours. The example below demonstrates the symbology used for fire incidents.

Advice (Yellow): An incident has started. There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.

Watch and Act (Orange): There is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family.

Emergency Warning (Red): An Emergency Warning is the highest level of warning. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.

The symbology in the triangle and associated calls to action will change depending on the hazard, however, the colour of the triangle does not change.

Users can view the Fire Danger Ratings for each Fire Ban District in the app by tapping on the ‘Fire Danger Rating’ tab on the bottom navigation bar.

Fire Danger Ratings describe the potential level of danger should a bushfire start and are calculated using a combination of weather forecasting and information about vegetation that could fuel a fire. For more information about Fire Danger Ratings visit the SA Country Fire Service Incidents and Warnings Page. The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) uses four easy to recognise rating levels, each with a message to encourage you to take action to protect yourself and others when at risk of bushfire. The rating is an indicator of how dangerous the bushfire could be if it occurs, not a predictor of how likely a bushfire is to start. For more information about the AFDRS visit: https://afdrs.com.au/ .

A cross-border notification alerts you to fire warnings that occur near South Australia's borders.

To receive cross-border notifications, your Watch Zone must extend across the border into the neighbouring state or territory.

This helps you stay informed about fires that may affect areas close to where you live, work, or travel.

  1. Create a Watch Zone near a South Australian border.
  2. Make sure your Watch Zone extends across the border into the neighbouring state or territory.
  3. Save your Watch Zone.

You will then receive fire warning notifications for incidents within 100 km of South Australia's borders that fall within your Watch Zone.

In response to severe weather or flooding events, the South Australian State Emergency Service (SES) may decide to establish sandbag locations where individuals can obtain free sand and/or hessian bags to prepare properties.

The Bushfires Only version of Alert SA has been retired and no longer sends fire notifications.

This is because:

  • The CFS no longer supports the data feed used to send fire notifications to the Bushfires Only app.
  • The old Alert SA app has reached end of life and is no longer supported on iPhone and Android devices due to security requirements.

If your device supports the latest version of Alert SA, please update the app from your device's app store.

If your device does not support the latest version, you can use the Alert SA website to view information about fires and other hazards across South Australia.

The Critical Alert feature helps make sure you receive Emergency Warning notifications for your Watch Zones, even when your phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb mode.

To use this feature, you need to allow Critical Alert permissions on your device.

To turn Critical Alerts on:

  • You can turn them on during the Alert SA app setup.
  • If you skipped this step, go to your phone's Settings, select Alert SA, and turn on Critical Alerts.

To turn Critical Alerts off:

  • Go to your phone's Settings.
  • Select Alert SA and turn off Critical Alerts.

We recommend keeping Critical Alerts turned on so you can receive important emergency warnings, even when your phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb mode.

Try:

  1. Updating the app to the latest version.
  2. Restarting your device.
  3. Deleting and reinstalling the app.
  4. Checking that notifications and location permissions are enabled.