Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that performs operations including receiving user input associated with a group of emergency alert service messages, assigning a plurality of severity codes to the group of emergency alert service messages according to the user input, each of the plurality of severity codes indicating a presentation format, determining a first location of a mobile communication device, determining a second location of a premises of a user of the mobile communication device. The operations can also include, responsive to detecting a first emergency alert service message associated with the first location, determining a first severity code of the plurality of severity codes assigned to the first emergency alert service message and providing the first emergency alert service message to the mobile communication device for presentation in a first format according to the first severity code. Other embodiments are disclosed.