NYC City Hall Launches a Potentially Life Saving Free App

On Friday, City hall announced the most important app you can have on your phone. The Notify NYC app sends push notifications to NYers of extreme weather, disease outbreaks and every other disaster going on in the city.

This is literally an app that could save your life… and not in a “what-to-wear-this-fall” way, in a “there’s-an-outbreak-of-West-Nile-virus” way. The app is a more customizable improvement on our Notify NYC website which launched back in 2007. We know what you’re thinking… “why can’t we just use Twitter, you know… like we do now?” To you people, we say, “hush. There’s a new app!”

The Notify NYC site has sent out about 9,400 notifications, keeping New Yorkers apprised of everything from road closures to extreme weather. Its App-flavored younger sibling will do much of the same, but with a few key differences.

Users have the option choose their current location, or select five neighborhoods to monitor (think “home,” “work,” “school,” “favourite dollar slice spot”, and “best dive bar.”) Of course, if you’re a fan of your phone incessantly vibrating you can hit the “receive all” option for citywide updates (that option is more something that you prank your friends with than actually choose, right?) and the icing on the cake is a handy map to show you just how far you are from whatever emergency is being broadcasted. Check out the screenshots:

Don’t worry, it’s not all about alien invasions and meteors falling to earth. It’ll also tell you if your subway is going through a meltdown.

You can download Notify NYC app HERE