During times of emergency, governments should be required to use a reverse 911 telephone system to inform people of the nature of the emergency and what actions or precautions to take. This reverse 911 system could be used to insure a timely and more complete dissemination of emergency information to the population, especially to the elderly. This system should also include notifications via e-mail, text message and/or other electronic means to ensure that the highest percentage of a population gets notified as quickly as possible.