Men's Final Four: Fans, visitors can sign up for safety messages during the event

HOUSTON - The Final Four in Houston is bringing in people from all over to get in on the big game, so as a precaution, fans can now sign up to receive safety messages while they're in town.

Fans and visitors coming to the March Madness events can text "mffsafety" to 888-777 to opt-in to receive messages created in coordination with the Mayor's Office, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department, the NCAA, and the Local Organizing Committee, part of the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority.

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The texts will include information on significant traffic and safety issues during the event and those who opt-in will not receive messages after the events have concluded, according to the mayor's office.

An example of the texts received by sending "mffsafety" to 888-777. (Courtesy of City of Houston/Office of Emergency Management)

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The subscribers remain anonymous, officials say,

"This free service is a key addition to the robust messaging that fans will receive while attending NCAA events," said Thomas Munoz, Deputy Director for Houston OEM. "We hope that everyone has a fun time this weekend, and we stand ready to coordinate with event planners and first responders to ensure safety remains the top priority."

KEEP UP WITH MEN'S FINAL FOUR

OEM with the help of federal, state, regional, and local partners, will activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC) to establish a Unified Command for the Final Four weekend:

• March 31 from 7 a.m. until the end of NCAA event operations
• April 1 from 9 a.m. until the end of NCAA event operations
• April 2 from 11 a.m. until the end of NCAA event operations
• April 3 from noon until the end of NCAA event operations