FEMA Text Message Program
Contributed by Provi Sharpe, Director of Emergency Management and Reuse Projects
It is vital to stay informed during an emergency – whether that emergency is bad or severe weather or some other sort of disaster, you can get the information you need to help you be prepared and stay safe with text message alerts available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) via their Text Message Program.
The FEMA Text Message Program can be used in two ways: to receive regular safety tips for specific disaster types, or to search for open shelters and open disaster recovery centers.
All FEMA text messages are sent from their dedicated number, which is 43362 (4FEMA). This text message program is not a substitute for 9-1-1. During an emergency, call your local fire/EMS/police or 9-1-1 for assistance. For a list of all the disaster specific keywords you can sign up to receive bi-monthly safety tips for, follow this link.
You can also use the FEMA text message program to receive a link for the FEMA smartphone app for your specific mobile device. FEMA will reply with a link back to your phone’s specific app store. For Apple devices: text APPLE to 43362 (4FEMA); for Android devices: text ANDROID to 43362 (4FEMA); for Blackberry devices: text BLACKBERRY to 43362 (4FEMA)
