Cell Phones General Emergency Notifications on your Cell Phone | Emergency Notifications on your Cell Phone |
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| Sunday, 05 September 2004 | |
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While many of us think of the cell phone as indispensable for emergency calls, they're also
great for receiving text alerts. We found one service that customizes emergency alerts based on
your zip code and preferences.
Part of the appeal of a cell phone is that it can be used in emergencies. One service that has expanded on this concept is the Emergency Email Network. This is a free public service that relies on public and private sectors for relaying information such as:
The service is easy to subscribe to as they only want your county, email address and zip code. Subscribers can select their alerts types and hours of operation. For example, you could block alerts from 2:00AM to 4:00AM. The most difficult part in the setup is remembering to use your cell phone's email address rather than your regular one. If you make a mistake, you have to unsubscribe and then resubscribe. The site also has reference page by cell carrier with contact information in case you need to activate text messaging.  We started using the service when California was going through rotating power outages a couple years ago. We found the alerts helpful even with the limitations text messaging imposes on cell phones. Although a cell phone can't display as much info, there was enough to find out whether we should act. Cost: Free |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 August 2006 ) |
