National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS)

RESOURCE DESCRIPTION

The National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS) is a reunification tool that allows the public to search for friends or family members over 21 years of age who have listed themselves in NEFRLS as displaced due to a disaster. It is used by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and interagency partners during an event as a potential source of data to assist in reunification activities or missing person investigations. NEFRLS is activated following major disasters and is available 24/7 while activated. Displaced individuals over 21 years of age can register themselves in NEFRLS in about 5 minutes. Other users can then find them by searching NEFRLS. Information can only be shared with individuals that the displaced person designates during registration. Information about displaced people provided in NEFRLS includes current location, contact information, members of the household traveling with the person, individuals permitted to find the displaced person in NEFRLS, and a message for those individuals (such as their current destination). Displaced person records are organized by specific hazard. NEFRLS records are retained for about 60 days after they are created. Unaccompanied minors should be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Unaccompanied Minors Registry (UMR). Users may register or search NEFRLS by phone as well (see Real Time Contact information).

BROAD DATA CATEGORIES

• Public information / Safety

SPECIFIC DATA ELEMENTS

• Hurricane
• Earthquake
• Flood
• Nuclear detonation
• Evacuation
• Mass care

GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE

US