USA Safety & Emergency Guide — Numbers, Scams & Tips

Emergency Numbers and How to Call

Keep the core emergency, crisis, and disaster numbers saved before you need them.

In the United States, 911 is the main number to call for a fire, a crime in progress, or a person who needs immediate medical help, and the FCC says it is the universal emergency number for all telephone services. The same FCC guidance also explains that many 911 systems can pass your phone number and location to the dispatcher, which makes it faster to route help. Use 911 for urgent danger, not for routine questions, because non-emergency calls can delay help for people in real emergencies. USCIS Emergencies and Safety FCC 911 and E911 Services

If the emergency is about health rather than police or fire, keep the national hotlines that HHS lists within reach. The Suicide and Crisis Line is 988, the Disaster Distress Helpline is 1-800-985-5990, the Poison Help Hotline is 1-800-222-1222, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357 or 1-800-662-HELP. HHS also lists the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA, which is 1-833-852-6262. These numbers are useful when the problem is urgent but not a police, fire, or ambulance call. What emergency hotlines are available?

For disasters, keep FEMA and your state emergency management agency in your phone as well. FEMA says it helps people before, during, and after disasters, and USAGov provides a direct page for finding your state's emergency management agency. FEMA's USAGov page lists the toll-free number as 1-800-621-3362, which is a good backup when you need disaster assistance or need help figuring out what to do next. If you move between states, do not assume disaster contacts are the same everywhere; save the official page for your state and update it when you move. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | USAGov State emergency management agencies | USAGov

Common Scams and Crime Prevention

Spot impersonation scams early, protect your money, and report fraud fast.

A major scam pattern in the U.S. is impersonation of government agencies, especially DHS and immigration-related offices. DHS OIG warns that scammers can spoof real phone numbers, create email addresses that resemble official ones, and pressure people to hand over personal information, passwords, bank details, or payments. The common stories include immigration or customs violations, problems with immigration forms, detained packages, identity theft claims, and threats of arrest, visa cancellation, or deportation. The same fraud alerts also warn about unusual payment demands such as gift cards, prepaid debit cards, Google Play, Apple pay, Zelle, Venmo, cryptocurrency, gold bars, or cash. Fraud Alert: DHS Telephone Numbers Used in Scam to Obtain Personally Identifiable Information and Extort Money from Victims FRAUD ALERT: Department of Homeland Security Impersonation Schemes

Tax scams follow a similar pattern: pressure, urgency, and a promise that sounds too good to be true. The IRS says impostors may threaten arrest or deportation, push you to pay now or else, and use odd or misspelled web links to send you away from IRS.gov. CFPB also warns about blackmail scams, romance scams, lottery scams, fake debt collectors, sale-of-nonexistent-goods scams, and money transfer fraud, with scammers often asking for wire transfers, gift cards, P2P payment apps, or cryptocurrency. If the seller or caller wants secrecy, pushes an upfront fee, or tries to rush you, treat that as a red flag. Recognize tax scams and fraud | Internal Revenue Service What are some common types of scams? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

When you are not sure whether a message is real, go to the official agency yourself instead of replying to the text, email, or call. USCIS says to report immigration scams to your state consumer protection office, local police if money or property was lost, and the FTC, and it also says reporting scams will not affect your immigration application or petition. USAGov's scams hub points to identity theft, imposter scams, unemployment scams, and credit-report resources, which makes it a useful starting point when you are deciding where to report. If the scam is internet-based, CFPB also points you to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Report Immigration Scams | USCIS Scams and fraud | USAGov

1. Stop and do not pay or share information until you verify the request independently.
2. Hang up and call the agency back using a number from an official website, not the caller's message.
3. Do not trust caller ID, badge numbers, or emails that look official but ask for gift cards, wires, or crypto.
4. Report the scam to the right place: local police, your state consumer office, USCIS, the FTC, or IC3 depending on the case.

Safety Information and Security Tips

Use official disaster, fire, and shelter guidance to build a simple local safety routine.

For everyday safety, start with the official emergency guidance that the federal government already publishes. USCIS's emergencies page points newcomers to disaster preparedness, shelter-in-place guidance, fire safety, environmental emergencies, and flood insurance resources, while FEMA says its mission is to help before, during, and after disasters. USAGov also gives you a direct path to your state's emergency management agency, which matters because the hazards and local procedures can differ from one state to another. If you are new to a city or plan to move soon, that official local page is often the fastest way to find current instructions for storms, fires, flooding, or evacuation. Emergencies and Safety | USCIS Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | USAGov State emergency management agencies | USAGov

Use the emergency number that matches the problem. FCC says 911 is the universal number for emergencies, and it is meant for situations such as a fire, a crime in progress, or a request for an ambulance. The same FCC page notes that some communities use 3-1-1 for non-emergency police and other city services, which is the better choice when the problem is important but not urgent. If you live in a building or on a campus, make sure you know the local emergency procedures before you need them, because the basic rule is to call the emergency line first when someone is in immediate danger. FCC 911 and E911 Services USCIS Emergencies and Safety

The most practical safety habit is to turn official guidance into a short routine you can repeat. Review fire safety and shelter-in-place instructions when you move in, store 911, 988, Poison Help, FEMA, and your state's emergency management contact in your phone, and keep the relevant official pages bookmarked so you can check them quickly during a storm or power outage. FEMA's contact page gives you a toll-free number, 1-800-621-3362, and the HHS hotline page gives you crisis and poison contacts that can be useful when an emergency is health-related rather than police-related. This kind of preparation is simple, but it reduces panic when the situation changes fast. What emergency hotlines are available? Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | USAGov

• Save your local state emergency management page and FEMA's 1-800-621-3362 number.
• Review fire safety and shelter-in-place guidance when you move into a new home.
• Keep 911 and 988 in your phone for immediate emergencies and crisis support.
• Use official government websites first when weather, flooding, or evacuation instructions change.