The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has activated its National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System in connection with the fires in California. The system is now available to help families find adult members of their households from whom they may have become separated as a result of the fires. Call centers have been established and may be reached at 800.588.9822, 24 hours a day.
Through FEMA’s Family Registry and Locator System, people who have been displaced and separated from their family and friends can register and provide information about themselves and where they can be found by calling 800.588.9822. Registration is voluntary, and displaced persons can identify individuals to whom they want to provide information about their location and other personal matters. Individuals seeking lost members of their families or friends are also urged to call the toll-free number as they search for them.
The National Emergency Child Locator Center has been activated to help families, local and tribal governments, and law enforcement agencies track and locate children who have become separated from their parents or guardians because of the fires. The Center’s operations are managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, with support from FEMA. Persons registering as or searching for a displaced child 21-years-old or younger will be directed to the Center, which will help them locate their families or guardians. The toll-free number for the Emergency Child Locator Center is 866.908.9572 for use in searching for displaced children. The call center is staffed 24-hours a day.