How to sign up for emergency alerts in Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Emergency alerts and shelter-in-place notifications can help keep the public out of harm's way. The Houston Office of Emergency Management issued a warning for Monday's active shooter situation but some residents say they didn't get the notification.

Denise Slaughter was wounded in a mass shooting on May 29 that left her in critical condition for days. She began working with police and OEM on refining the alert system.

"I was shot coming out of my neighborhood and it went through both legs," she said. "There's nothing I could have done to prevent being shot and I'm sure these people, they were just going to work."

The Houston Emergency Notification System automatically dials landline phones in a given area when a warning is issued. However, mobile phones and phones connected through cable or satellite internet services must be registered through the OEM website to get the alerts.

Residents can also sign up to receive AlertHouston email notifications at houstonemergency.org.