My ringer does not work when I receive messages, I can play the sound when I set it, but it doesnt work when i actually get a message

What happens if you set it to a different specific sound? Does THAT one play?

I assume you have this text number in your contact list, and have it set for a unique ringtone.

Have you tried deleting that contact, and putting it back into your phone from scratch?

Also reboot the phone by pressing the button on the top of the phone and the round home button at the same time until it turns off. This is a complete shutdown which is different than just holding down the top button in which you have to slide to shutdown.

When you turn up an down your volume, does it say ringer or headset? Also, does the bell that comes up when changing volume have a slash across it or no?

Try a hard reset. Hold down the power button and home button for about 15 seconds until you see the apple logo then release

ZBingham wrote:

It is a contact, however it is not a phone number, it is CADtext, which is almost like an email, except it comes across as a text. I dont think that deleting it would solve it, becuase I have another text tone for general text messages, and that one does not go off either

So really the problem is that none of your custom text tones are playing, not just that specific emergency one.

A custom tone can only be specified via a Contact card for a ringtone, text tone, or an incoming email.

Looks like you will need to create a backup in iTunes or iCloud and restore the device.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414

So no text tones work from anyone?

But ringtones are ok?

Then I would suggest what's been stated above:

1. complete shut down of phone, press both buttons together and hold

- if doesn't work then...

2. perform a backup, then wipe the phone and restore from the backup

- if doesn't work then...

3. wipe the phone but set up as a new phone. You will loose all your settings etc. and have to redo everything.

Everything would be erased, that's why you'd do the backup first.

When you restore the phone from your backup, everything will go back except for music and apps etc. that can be redownloaded from Apple.

Obviously if you set up the phone as new, then nothing you backed up will go back onto the phone.

I suggest moving all contacts, calendars etc. to iCloud anyway, so all you have to do is sign into iCloud on your iPhone and BOOM your contacts magically appear.