Emergencies and severe weather in the Madison area

911 or the non-emergency line

Call 911 when police, fire or emergency medical help is needed right away. For everything else, Dane County's non-emergency line is 608-255-2345, which is also the non-emergency number the City of Madison Police Department lists. In August 2026 Dane County said a virtual assistant, AVA, now answers calls to that line for common matters such as animal control, noise complaints and permit questions. If a situation becomes urgent or you ask for a person, the call transfers to a 911 telecommunicator. The Madison Police Department also takes some reports online.

Madison police district stations

Madison has six police districts, each with a station:

• Central: 211 S. Carroll Street
• East: 809 S. Thompson Drive
• Midtown: 4020 Mineral Point Road
• West: 1710 McKenna Boulevard
• North: 2033 Londonderry Drive
• South: 825 Hughes Place

The department's Police Districts page has an address lookup to find yours and hours for each station. Outside Madison, your village or town has its own police department or relies on the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

Tornado sirens

Dane County Emergency Management says its outdoor warning sirens sound for Tornado Warnings and for Severe Thunderstorm Warnings tagged "destructive." Only sirens in the warning area sound, as one three-minute steady tone, and there is no all-clear signal.

Treat the sirens as an outdoor warning only. The county says they aren't designed to alert people indoors and shouldn't be your main source. Confirm a warning with a weather radio, phone app or local broadcast, and take shelter right away. Don't wait for a siren if you see severe weather or get an alert.

Monthly test. The county tests the sirens between noon and 12:05 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, weather permitting. Tests can be canceled for severe weather or conditions that could damage the equipment, and canceled tests aren't rescheduled. The county asks anyone who believes a siren sounded in error to call 608-255-2345, option 6.

Sign up for alerts

Dane County runs the Dane County Notification System, operated through Rave Mobile Safety. You register on the county's emergency alerts page with your address and a phone number or email. It sends emergency notices by text or email, such as hazardous materials incidents, gas leaks, evacuation or shelter-in-place orders, and missing persons. If you choose, it also sends National Weather Service watches and warnings. Voice calls, if used, show 608-260-8735 as the caller ID.

The county's alerts page also lists NOAA Weather Radio and Wireless Emergency Alerts as other ways to get warnings.

Extreme cold and snow

Public Health Madison & Dane County advises staying indoors during extreme cold, wearing layers, checking on neighbors, keeping an emergency kit at home, and keeping your car's gas tank at least half full. Wisconsin homes must have working carbon monoxide detectors on every level except attics and storage areas, and generators belong at least 20 feet from the house.

The city's January 2026 cold advisory didn't list warming centers. It said to call 211 with questions about local shelter options, and to call 911 if someone shows signs of hypothermia, such as shivering, exhaustion, confusion or slurred speech.

For snow, see our guide to winter parking and snow emergencies.

Extreme heat

The City of Madison Fire Department says libraries and community centers are good places to cool off, and that cooling shelters may open during severe heat emergencies. It announces openings through local media and the city's social media pages, and it doesn't publish a standing list. Heat stroke, with a body temperature over 103 degrees, hot dry skin and confusion, is a reason to call 911. For heat exhaustion, seek medical help if symptoms don't improve.

Power outages

MGE: Report an outage online, by texting OUT to 73904, or by calling 608-252-7000. MGE has an outage map on its website. Alliant Energy: For a downed line, gas leak or carbon monoxide alarm, call 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268) and don't use an online form. Alliant's help page also lets you report an outage online and check its outage map. Not sure who serves you? See our utilities guide.

Treat any downed wire as live and stay at least 30 feet away, according to MGE. Public Health says a refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours and a full freezer for about 48.

Poison, crisis and road conditions

• Poisoning: Call the national Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222. The Wisconsin Poison Center, run by Children's Wisconsin, lists it as free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, answered by trained nurses and pharmacists. Call 911 instead if someone collapses, has a seizure or has trouble breathing.
• Mental health crisis: Call or text 988, or chat through the 988 Lifeline site. It is free, confidential and available every day.
• Road conditions: Wisconsin 511 shows real-time traffic, winter road conditions and cameras at 511wi.gov or by calling 511. Check it before you drive, not while driving.

For care, see our directories of hospitals and emergency rooms and urgent care clinics. For anything life-threatening, call 911 rather than driving yourself.