US to Test Emergency Phone Alerts

The U.S. Government is now looking into ways to provide citizens with emergency alerts on their cell phones.

The Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction met earlier in the week to discuss if such a service would be feasible and how it would work.

Legislators say the current method, the Emergency Alert System, is simply outdated. That method uses radio and television to alert of natural disasters, emergencies, or terrorist attacks.

In consideration is a Web site where users would be able to go to sign up for alerts, which they would then receive on their cell phones in the form of a text message.

However, the idea is only in its formative stages, so the cost, if any, to the user is unknown.

FEMA expects to start some pilot studies next year, and hopes to have a timeline for the replacement of EAS by that time.