More and more Americans rely on their cell phones for pretty much anything and everything.
With 85% of Americans over the age of 18 owning a cell phone some are arguing that a national emergency alert system to text cell phones in case of an emergency needs to be put in place.
For Saturday's Facebook story of the day KRCG's Meghan Lane looked into what steps the federal government is taking to keep us safe.
It's been in the works for over five years and now and now by the end of this year a national emergency alert system is set to launch in New York City and Washington D.C.
The system will send messages to cell phones during disasters.
New cell phones will have a special microchip which will allow the government to send warnings from the president about upcoming danger under the the Personal Localized Alerting Network, or P.L.A.N. for short.
But P.L.A.N. isn't only limited to the federal government local authorities will also use the system to inform citizens about life-threatening situations and amber alerts.
"Plan will allow local, state, and federal authorities to get messages in times of emergency to people on their mobile devices,” Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said. “It will allow them to do it on a localized basis, and it will provide a fast lane for emergency alert, so that even if there is network congestion, these vital alerts get through."
While cell phone users may opt out of alerts from local officials, no one will be allowed to opt out of messages from the president.
Earlier in the week, New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the new alert system, which will direct emergency messages to cellphones in case of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other emergencies.
"The plan program will allow people with specifically enable mobile phones to receive messages, free of charge alerting them to eminent safety threats in their area,” Bloomberg said. “If people need to take action, the system can transmit instructions, clearly, accurately, and in a timely manner, which is something that could save countless lives."
Starting next year, all cell phones will be required to have the chip that receives alerts.
While the new system will be in place in New York and D.C. by the end of the year, we can expect the system to be put into action here in Missouri by the end of 2012.
the new emergency alert system is part of the warning alert and response network act that was approved by congress in 2006.
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