I'm also getting these calls, but am not a city employee.  I don't even live or work in NYC, but live just north of it.  I suppose that my number might have been previously belonged to a city employee.  I'm taking the advice Mrs. O suggested and emailed the address to see if they will remove me from the calls.

after posting the message in this web, the called was switched to the same one that you haved gotten.
coicidence.

The calls that I have gotten, did not ask me to volunteer, it says, "Do not drive. and do not call 911 unlessit is an emergency.

The number 718-422-8818 is an automated calling center that is used by OEM during emergency preparation.  I called the OEM at 718-422-4800 and found out that if *anyone* in your home is or has been a NYC employee, you will get the call.  My husband is a city employee which is why we were getting the calls; however, because of the work he does, he is on-call for emergencies no matter what so the calls were unnecessary.  You can email OEM at coastal_storm_plan_messages(at)OEM(dot)NYC(dot)gov, give them the number that is being called and ask them to remove you from their list.   I'd also call them  just to make sure.

Note: The calls I got did not give me an option for selecting "Will not be available to volunteer" and the calls were coming in at all hours of the day AND night, about a call every hour. You are supposed to be able to opt out and stop getting calls.

This is a message for NYC employees

I got 12 messages from this number from last night to this afternoon.  They're starting to sound really desperate saying, "your city needs you."  But I honestly can't believe they would want a bunch of random people to show up at city shelters to 'help.'  So, I'm assuming they have my number confused with that of a city worker.  The message states that city workers will be paid for their time, so I think that's who was supposed to get these messages and our numbers just got in their system by mistake.  

In the last message they gave me the chance to press 2 to say I would not do it and so I pressed 2.  I thought that would be the end of it, but they have called me two more times and I've pressed 2 for no both times.  Will they keep calling me?  Probably, but I'm sure they mean to be calling someone else.

Same here, I keep receiving phone calls from this number.  I have just checked the messages and I haven't responded as of yet but I have never heard of this being a possibility.  You would think that if this was something that we might be called on to do as city workers we would have received a phone call, training, something.... this call out of no where with no warning is just weird.

Hi I've had at least 5 calls from this number, starting with three yesterday and 2 today.  Most of them were a male voice recording asking for volunteers to work at the hurricane relief shelters.  Today, there was a female voice recording stating that they hadn't heard back from me and "really need" my help.  Claims to be from Office of Emergency Management.

I got the same message and accidentally pressed '1' to apparently volunteer during working hours today. I'm supposed to 'report' to a public school in queens that is nowhere close to where I live. This number has called four times since then.

I'm thinking this has to be a phishing scam. I'm just pissed that they now have my number.

I was a school teacher for one year back in 2008-2009. Does anyone else here work for the government?

Was unable to confirm or deny this one. So two possibilities:
1) excellent scam since their number so closely resembles the OEM # - except for the fact they don't really ask you to call them back....

2) It really is the OEM and they were conducting what they believed was a test of their system (which they haven't used before) and well... mission accomplished. I've had that happen before.


It is 9am and no further calls from that # - so if anyone learns anything new, please post.

Sorry Shirkinerd -  I'm not trying to say anything negative about you. I know you're here trying to help and figure this one out as well.

I am just pointing out that their providing a legitimate site doesn't make the caller legitimate.
This could be legit, but I can't find support for that.

I'm playing it safe and assuming that this is a really good scam/phishing scheme.

Sorry Shirkinerd - just recopied my post from the other website. I'm not trying to say anything negative about you. I know you're here trying to help and figure this one out as well.

I am just pointing out that their providing a legitimate site doesn't make the caller legitimate.
This could be legit, but I can't find support for that.

I'm playing it safe and assuming that this is a really good scam/phishing scheme.

I believe this is a phishing/scam at the moment.

Received several phone calls - the last one telling me to report to "a shelter" at 10am - but never did they use my name or tell me which shelter. They give websites, but anyone can do that. Look Shirkinerd did it above - big deal. Giving a legitimate website is one common method of scammers. There's no info there about reporting, so it seems you're being forced to call back.

An OEM phone number is 718-422-8888 not 718-422-8818 which is the calling number.
Furthermore, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) has phone number 718-422-8585 but these individuals are giving a 10-week training. As a city-employee I've never been informed of this, never received any training and the only source telling me to report to a shelter is this odd phone number which I cannot find linked to OEM.

I'm treating this like a phishing scam at the moment. I will not be giving these people any information until I can verify who they are first

I believe this is a phishing/scam at the moment.

Received several phone calls - the last one telling me to report to "a shelter" at 10am - but never did they use my name or tell me which shelter. They give websites, but anyone can do that. Look Shirkinerd did it above - big deal. Giving a legitimate website is one common method of scammers. There's no info there about reporting, so it seems you're being forced to call back.

An OEM phone number is 718-422-8888 not 718-422-8818 which is the calling number.
Furthermore, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) has phone number 718-422-8585 but these individuals are giving a 10-week training. As a city-employee I've never been informed of this, never received any training and the only source telling me to report to a shelter is this odd phone number which I cannot find linked to OEM.

I'm treating this like a phishing scam at the moment. I will not be giving these people any information until I can verify who they are first. I'll try and post back if I discover anything new.

hi,
does anyone know if it is mandatory to go

Thanks. Spoke to a few friends-city employees are receiving these phone calls!!

NYC Office has been calling me since 3pm (I didn't pick up any of those 3 times) -- they left me the same automated message warning me about Hurricane Irene. They also added, "You may be called upon to work at one of the NYC shelters."  I found THAT a bit bizarre. They can't just volunteer me to work. I wouldn't have mind if it was a volunteer opportunity. I wouldn't have minded that, but I don't appreciate them telling me that I HAVE to volunteer if I'm "chosen."

It's not a hoax - it's the New York City Office of Emergency Management - http://gis.nyc.gov/oem/he/index.htm with information about the hurricane.

I think NYC employees are receiving these calls.

It was the New York City Office of Emergency Management... although I don't know how they got our numbers.  They have left me 3 messages today about hurricane shelters.

Keep receiving phone calls from this.number!! Is it legit or a hoax.. Would like to know how they got my NAME and number..

so is it a hoax?

i got the same message!  is it some kind of hoax?

I also got a call from 718-422-8818, your post brought helped me very much. Thank U so much. God bless

Same here, twice.  It's an automated machine asking if you can work at a hurricane shelter or in the evacuation zones for this weekend for the city.