5 things you should know about Crisis Assist

July 19, 2021

Pressing the OnStar button during a crisis.

OnStar Members who are affected by a disaster or crisis and need help are not alone. Advisors are ready to help 24/7

When it comes to natural disasters and severe weather, 2020 was the fourth worst year on record for Canada, according to a report by the Insurance Bureau of Canada. The top weather story was “Calgary’s Billion-Dollar Hailer,” a hailstorm that caused over a billion dollars in insurance losses. In British Columbia and Alberta, there were smoke-filled skies coming from the wildfires in California, Washington and Oregon. In northeast Alberta, flooding caused more than half a billion dollars in damage. Plus, there were dozens of tornadoes recorded across Canada as well as several hurricanes.

With those recent events, plus the upcoming tornado season, it’s worth taking steps now to make sure you and your family can be prepared for the worst. Crisis Assist* is a service that provides you with critical assistance during severe weather, natural disasters and other crises. It includes:

A 24/7 priority connection to an OnStar Emergency-Certified Advisor
Routing assistance away from trouble areas
Help contacting loved ones
Up-to-date information about the crisis

Whether you need emergency assistance or to connect with a loved one to let them know you’re all right, OnStar* is just a button-push away. Below are five things you should know about OnStar Crisis Assist.

OnStar Advisors can do more than you think

OnStar Advisors can act as your central point of contact during a crisis. Whether you need routing assistance due to the conditions or are looking for an available hotel room or the nearest shelter, Advisors are ready to assist. Just push the blue OnStar button and tell the Advisor what you need. Advisors will do what they can to help, including helping you stay in touch with your loved ones throughout the crisis.

Just push the red Emergency button to get help

If you need police, fire or ambulance services, just push the red Emergency button.* You’ll be connected with an Emergency-Certified Advisor* who can provide critical medical direction until First Responders arrive.

OnStar personnel helping out during a crisis.

Bring OnStar with you on the go

Even if you’re not in your vehicle, you can access key OnStar safety services with the OnStar Guardian™ app.* The app includes Mobile Crash Response, which is designed to use your smartphone’s sensors to detect a crash and alert an Emergency-Certified Advisor. And if the unexpected happens, the app also gives you access to Roadside Assistance.* Plus, because you can share the Guardian app with up to seven family members, if you become separated during a crisis, you can view and share locations on a map using Location Status.*

Crisis Assist can help in unexpected situations

Whether you’re at home or on the road, you can rely on OnStar to help in severe weather such as flash floods and winter storms. But OnStar is also there in disasters such as:

Natural Resource/Man-Made Disasters: Energy/power outages, hazardous material situations or terrorist activity
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires or volcanic eruptions

The OnStar Command Centre is always on alert

OnStar has a central Command Centre that monitors severe weather and disaster situations 24/7. In times of disaster, you might not have access to information you need. Our Command Centre team works to stay on top of events as they unfold and gather critical information, which may include instructions from your local authorities. You can also check out our hurricane preparedness tips for more information.