The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, recently released a mobile app.

Available for download on the Apple Store or Google Play, the FEMA app has a lot of exciting features designed to help users prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Users can also toggle between English and Spanish, which makes these critical resources available to a much larger percentage of the population.

But while it does provide real-time weather and crisis updates, it’s not built for emergency dispatch.

Follow along as we dive into the FEMA app’s features and how it can help you and your family in a variety of emergency situations.

Get Weather Alerts in Real-Time

When you download and set up your FEMA app, you’ll receive alerts from the National Weather Service in real-time.

Not only can these give you vital information on what your next steps should be, but they can also keep you updated as a weather emergency progresses.

And you’re not just limited to one location.

The FEMA app allows you to sign up for weather alerts in up to five different areas across the United States.

Share Important Info With Friends & Family

When the FEMA app sends you these live alerts, they make it easy to share them with your friends and family.

Whether you’re updating loved ones in the area or distant relatives, you can share emergency information through text, email, and social media.

Get Essential Safety Tips for a Variety of Emergencies

Not sure how to handle a specific emergency? 

The FEMA app includes essential safety tips for over twenty extreme weather events and environmental disasters, such as:

• Fires
• Floods
• Hurricanes
• Snowstorms and blizzards
• Tornados
• Volcanos
• Earthquakes
• Chemical emergencies
• And more…

Especially during an unexpected emergency, survival tips like these can save lives.

Find Shelters & Other Emergency Resources

The FEMA app can also help you locate emergency shelters and disaster recovery centers.

If you’re away from home during an extreme weather event like a tornado, a list of open emergency shelters is a priceless resource.

It can mean the difference between finding a safe haven for you and your family and getting stuck out in the storm.

Also, it allows you to talk to a FEMA representative either over the phone or in person.

And after a crisis, access to local recovery centers can provide you with valuable resources and information, including:

• Guidance regarding disaster recovery assistance and programs for survivors.
• Clarification of any written correspondence received from FEMA.
• Housing assistance and rental resource information.
• Answers to questions, resolution to problems, and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance.
• Status of applications being processed by FEMA.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) program information regarding assistance.

Create Emergency Kits & More

One of the FEMA app’s most innovative features is that it gives you the ability to create your own emergency kit checklist and family plan.

It starts you off with a FEMA-approved list of supplies to include in your basic emergency kit, such as:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A first aid kit
• A whistle to signal for help
• A wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• And more…

Then, it gives you the option to add however many custom items you like.

It also allows you to save three emergency family meetup locations in the app: a primary in-town location, a secondary in-town location, and an out-of-town location.

Connect With FEMA

If you were affected by a disaster, the FEMA app provides links and information to apply for disaster assistance, find answers to frequently asked questions, or call the FEMA helpline.

For Instant Emergency Response, Go With Rescu

Although the FEMA app is an excellent tool for anyone’s disaster readiness toolkit, it doesn’t provide emergency dispatch services.

If you want guaranteed fast and delay-free emergency response, trust the Rescu app.

In just two taps on your mobile device, you can request police, fire, or ambulance services, and Rescu’s private dispatch center will send them to your address or current location instantly.

No talking required, no contracts, and no nonsense.

Just the help you need, right when you need it.

For (at most) only $10 a month, Rescu provides:

• The fastest way to get fire, police, and ambulatory services in an emergency.
• Access to a private dispatch center dedicated to subscribers only — no call-waiting queues or drops in service.
• A silent, hassle-free way to dispatch responders to your address or location anywhere in the US…(you can even send help to your address when you’re away from home).
• Storage for your emergency contacts, up to four physical addresses, and relevant medical conditions.
• The fastest and most effective way to get emergency help for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
• Independence and peace of mind for parents, seniors, and caregivers.
• And most importantly, round-the-clock protection for you, your family, and your home.

Combine the FEMA app with Rescu, and you and your loved ones will have an ironclad emergency plan.

Click or tap below to download on the Apple Store or Google Play!