Newzity

May be soon. FCC has just approved a plan for nation wide emergency broadcast system over the mobile network so that anyone with a cell phone can get text messages about all sorts of crisis from natural disaster to terrorist attack.

The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) would reach 250 million people with cell phones. The idea is not new. Given the popularity and availability of cell phones, people already used them as a primary means of communication in times of crisis including 9/11 and Virginia Tech killings. The plan combines the national alert system with the cell phone network to quickly reach more people. There would be three kinds of alerts: imminent threats for natural disasters, Amber alerts for missing children, and Presidential alerts for national emergency such as terrorist attacks. For now, the system would send text messages, but in future it would include multimedia.

Though FCC and all the major mobile carriers are supporting the move, there are some hurdles to cross. FCC does not have the authority to run the public alert system and wants FEMA, which runs the current TV and Radio based alert system, to take the responsibility. However, FEMA is not ready due to budget and other constraints. For now, we just have to wait a bit longer for emergency SMS to arrive.