The best thing you can do to increase your chances of surviving an emergency situation is to get as much warning as you can. Did you know that your county can actually call you and let you know if there is an emergency, like a fire or flood, in your area?

It’s called a reverse 9-1-1 notification system and in the event of an emergency, it could save your life.

Listed and unlisted landline phone numbers are already included in the reverse 9-1-1 database but if you use a cell phone or a VOIP phone you’ll need to take a few minutes to register your phone number.

This is especially important if, like me, your cell phone is the only phone you have or if you spend a lot of time away from home.. We got rid of our landline years ago and it’s been great for saving us money but there are a few extra steps that need to be taken to make sure you are prepared for an emergency.

If there was a disaster in your area, information would be vital.

How to Register your Phone for the Reverse 9-1-1 Notification System

Registering your phone number is simple and should only take a few minutes. First, you need to find out if your county has a reverse 9-1-1 system set up yet. You can do this by calling your county government office or searching on their website.

In San Diego county, you can go to ReadySanDiego.org to register your phone number with the reverse 9-1-1 system.

I just went through this process with my phone and I was done in under 5 minutes. As an added perk, once you register you can download a free family preparedness workbook to help you get started on your family’s emergency preparedness plan.

In Salt Lake county, you can register here.

I know we have readers all over the country. When you find the registration page for your county’s reverse 9-1-1 system, I’d love it if you could share the link with us here in the comments.