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Communicating During Emergencies

E-mail During An Emergency

Public Safety Answering Points and Call Dispatch

Public Safety Resources

Emergency Warning - EAS and TV Updates

Text Telephone Devices (TTYs)

Wireless 911

Wireline 911
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Communicating During Emergencies banner

During emergencies - local, state, and national - the importance of our country’s telecommunications and broadcast systems becomes clear. We use our phones to call 911 or to call our family members to make sure they are safe; we turn on our televisions and radios to get information updates.
 

There are three main components to emergency communications:

  • 911 telephone call processing and delivery through the 911 emergency call center and wireless call dispatch;
  • the Emergency Alert System; and
  • local radio and broadcast or cable television station news and updates.

All of these components must operate effectively in order to achieve a successful response to an emergency.

FCC Emergency-Related Information
Wireline 911
image of telephone repairman on telephone pole"911" is the official national emergency number in the United States and Canada.

 Wireless 911
image of cell towers in a rural environmentFind out about E911, and dialing 911 from your wireless telephone.
Emergency Warning
image of map of US with EAS lettered across the frontLearn about the Emergency Alert System Radio/TV Updates and the Accessibility of Emergency Information


 Public Safety Answering Points and Call Dispatch
image of an operator on an emergency callHow does an Emergency Call Work?
Text Telephone Devices (TTYs)
image of hands typing on a text telephone deviceUsing TTYs to Dial 911

 Email During an Emergency
image of computerWhy does e-mail still work during a natural disaster or state of emergency?
Public Safety Resources
image of threat level chartAdditional information and/or advice on communicating during emergencies.

  


last reviewed/updated on 09/07/04 
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