Local Emergency Resources

Local Emergency Contacts: Find Yours & Post Them

When something goes wrong, you don't want to be Googling phone numbers. This guide tells you exactly how to find every emergency contact for your area — from official .gov sources — and gives you a printable template to post in your home.

All sources are official government resources Updated March 2026 Silent Security Research Team

Silent Security Research Team

Last reviewed March 2026 · Our methodology · Affiliate disclosure Privacy Policy

Independent Review

National Numbers That Always Work

These numbers are nationwide and work from any phone, any location, at any time. Memorize them. They belong on your emergency contact sheet.

Emergency Services

911

Police, Fire, Medical emergencies. Use for any immediate threat to life or property. Works from any phone including those with no service plan.

Poison Control

1-800-222-1222

American Association of Poison Control Centers. 24/7 nationwide. For any suspected poisoning — children, pets, adults. Save this in every family member's phone now.

FEMA Disaster Assistance

1-800-621-3362

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

988

Call or text 988. Mental health crisis support for you or someone you know. 24/7, free, confidential. Formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

National Weather Service

weather.gov

Official forecasts, tornado/hurricane/flood warnings. Bookmark weather.gov/[your city] for local alerts. Sign up for email/text alerts from your county emergency management office.

Red Cross

1-800-733-2767

American Red Cross disaster relief. Call to find an emergency shelter near you, report a need, or find a missing family member after a disaster.

How to Find Your Local Emergency Contacts

Local emergency numbers are not standardized nationally. Your county and city manage their own directories. Here is the definitive process for finding each type of number from official sources only.

Police Non-Emergency Line

Every police department has a non-emergency line for situations that need a response but are not active emergencies (noise complaints, car break-ins, suspicious activity, minor incidents). Using 911 for these ties up emergency lines.

How to find it: Google "[your city] police department" — go to the official .gov website. The non-emergency number is almost always listed on the contact or about page.
Alternative: Search "[your county] sheriff non-emergency" if you live outside city limits.
For online reporting: Many departments now have online reporting portals for minor incidents. Check your department's site for a "Report a Crime" or "Online Reporting" link.

Fire Department

For emergencies: 911 always.
Non-emergency / community programs: Search "[your city] fire department" on their official .gov site. Many offer free home fire safety inspections, car seat installation checks, and community education.

Utility Emergency Contacts

You need these posted in your home — gas leaks and downed power lines are emergencies where seconds matter and your memory may fail.

Electric utility: Look on your monthly bill for the 24-hour outage/emergency line. Alternatively, search "[your utility company name] report outage."
Gas utility: Your gas bill has a 24-hour emergency line. Gas leak protocol: Do NOT use any phone, switch, or electronic device inside. Leave immediately, leave the door open, and go to a neighbor's home or use a cell phone from a safe distance away — then call 911 and your gas utility. Never re-enter until a professional clears the building. NFPA 54 CPSC
Water utility: Listed on your water bill. Needed for water main breaks, sewage backflow, and loss of water service.

School Emergency Contacts

Every school has a main office number and a security/emergency contact — find both on the school's official website.
Sign up for the school's emergency notification system (most use SchoolMessenger, Remind, or a similar platform).
Know the school's reunification procedure: where do you pick up your child after an emergency, and what ID will you need?
Ask your school's administration for a copy of the emergency response plan — most schools will provide a summary on request.

County Emergency Management

Your county emergency management office is one of the most underused resources available to you. They:

Maintain local hazard assessments (what risks are specific to your area — tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, etc.)
Operate the local emergency alert system
Can connect you with programs for people with special needs during evacuations
Often offer free community preparedness classes

How to find them: Search "[your county name] emergency management" — the official site will have contact info and how to sign up for alerts.

Medical & Health Resources

Your primary care physician: After-hours line should be in your phone now, not just the office number.
Nearest hospital ER: Know the address and have it in your navigation favorites.
Urgent care: Identify 1–2 nearby options that accept your insurance for non-emergency situations that still need same-day care.
Local health department: Search "[your county] health department" — relevant for disease outbreaks, water quality alerts, environmental hazards.

Sign up for Wireless Emergency Alerts FEMA IPAWS

WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) are broadcast by your local emergency management and automatically appear on your phone without any app or sign-up. These are different from the regular AMBER Alerts — they include local weather warnings, evacuation orders, and national emergencies. Verify WEA is enabled on your phone in settings under Emergency Alerts / Government Alerts. FCC

Featured Tool — Free & Official Sources Only

Find Your State's Official Emergency Resources

Every state has an official emergency management agency with shelter locations, hazard maps, and alert sign-up. Select your state below for direct .gov links — no Googling, no guessing.

Select your state

All links go directly to official government websites and open in a new tab. Source: state .gov domains.

Printable Emergency Contact Sheet

Post it on your refrigerator, in your home emergency binder, and at your secondary meeting spot. Fill in every field before you need it.

Our Home Emergency Contacts

Address: _________________________ · Nearest cross street: _________________________

Emergencies (police/fire/medical) 911

Poison Control 1-800-222-1222

Crisis/Suicide Lifeline 988

Police Non-Emergency

Fire Non-Emergency

Gas Emergency (utility)

Electric Outage/Emergency

Water Utility Emergency

School (main office)

School Emergency Line

Nearest Hospital ER

Doctor After-Hours

Neighbor / Trusted contact 1

Neighbor / Trusted contact 2

Out-of-area family contact

Family meeting point

Secondary meeting point (if home inaccessible)

One more step after you fill this out

Once you've printed and posted this sheet, make sure every member of your household knows where it is. Then go one step further: enter the non-911 numbers into every family member's phone contacts. The sheet is a backup for when phones fail. The contacts are your primary resource.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I call 911 vs. the police non-emergency number?

Call 911 for any active emergency — situations where someone's life, safety, or property is at immediate risk. This includes: medical emergencies, fires, violent crimes in progress, car accidents with injuries, and any situation where you feel threatened. For gas leaks: leave the building first without using any switches, then call 911 from outside. NENA FCC

Call the non-emergency line for: reporting a car break-in that already occurred, noise complaints, lost or found property, suspicious activity that's not an immediate threat, minor fender benders with no injuries, or to follow up on a previously reported incident.

Can I call 911 if my phone has no service or SIM?

Yes. In the United States, all mobile phones can call 911 even without an active service plan, as long as the phone is charged. The call will be routed through any available carrier's network. This is why it's important to keep old charged phones available as emergency backup devices.

How do I find out what disaster risks are specific to my area?

The best source is your county emergency management office, which maintains a local Hazard Mitigation Plan. FEMA's risk assessment database is also publicly available at hazards.fema.gov/nri. The National Risk Index tool lets you enter your county and see risk scores for 18 natural hazard types — tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and more — compared to the national average. FEMA NRI

How do I register my family for emergency alerts?

Most counties use a system called Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which automatically sends to phones in the area — no sign-up required. For more detailed local alerts, search "[your county] emergency notifications" or "[your county] CodeRED" (one of the common alert platforms). Many schools use their own systems — check with your school district. The national alert system at alerts.fema.gov also aggregates federal alerts.

What information should I know about my neighborhood for emergencies?

Know your evacuation zone (search "[your city] evacuation zones"), your nearest emergency shelter, and the nearest hospital. Know how to shut off your gas meter (ask your utility company for a free demonstration). Know two evacuation routes out of your neighborhood — not just the obvious one. If you're in a flood zone, know the flood zone designation for your property at msc.fema.gov.