Phone | Collaborating Agencies Responding To Disasters

Posts tagged Phone

5-Minute Message: Lucky You

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, we often hear the phrase “the luck o’ the Irish”, and images of ‘”lucky shamrocks” abound. Many people think of luck as something that is stumbled upon accidentally, like a pot of gold, but others align with the popular saying “Luck is simply Preparation meeting Opportunity.” For this St. Patrick’s Day, cultivate your luck with a little preparedness and a dash of optimism. Do any of the following to feel confident before an emergency:

• Carry a whistle, flashlight, programmed cell phone, CUE card
• Choose comfortable shoes
• Review in your head some helpful response tips, such as the proper way to use a fire extinguisher: P.A.S.S. (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep).

If you do experience an emergency, some people will say how “lucky you were”, others will recognize it as simply being prepared to prosper!

March 15th, 2010 | Tags: CUE, Fire, Phone, Preparedness, response, Shoes, St. Patrick's Day, tips, tools | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

5-Minute Message: Communication: HOW to Get Your Message Out

Create a list of ALL of your available options, with their log-in codes, instructions, or other needed information. Make sure your team knows how to prioritize, and can quickly choose the most appropriate method. Knowing that you can reach your key audiences should decrease anxiety and increase confidence for your team.

Another great step on your path to becoming masterful at communicating before, during and after disasters is to flex your communication channels. Create a list of your existing options, so you know HOW to get your message out. Some ideas — telephone, fax, e-mail, cell phone, voice mail, text message, Skype, website, blog, social media, and other online platforms. Remember to flex low-tech options including posting signage, using runners, and distributing handouts. Tip: equip your team with a sustainable no-tech option such as whistles on their keychains.
Create a list of ALL of your available options, with their log-in codes, instructions, or other needed information. Make sure your team knows how to prioritize, and can quickly choose the most appropriate method. Knowing that you can reach your key audiences should decrease anxiety and increase confidence for your team.

February 8th, 2010 | Tags: communication, e-mail, Information, internet, low-tech, no tech, online, Phone, social media, sustainable, Technology, web | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Comments (1)

5-Minute Message: Programmed for Safety: The Cell Solution

Cell phones are wonderful tools for simple, accessible emergency preparedness. Among the most useful ways to embrace cell phone preparedness is to dedicate a few minutes at meetings and gatherings to entering information. Some information to program:

•   Non-emergency numbers for police and fire
•   ”ICE” (the designated person to call “In Case of Emergency”)
•   Medicines, medical conditions, and medical practitioners
•   Emergency phone numbers for family members
•   “Rally Points” — where you will reconvene after an emergency

Even if the reception and signal fail, the stored information remains available and older-model, basic cell phones can still hold text data – if nothing else, enter it in the address book under “name”, “email”, etc.

Bonus: BlackBerries, iPhones and other smart phones can store entire documents and useful emergency applications!

October 5th, 2009 | Tags: cell, Cell Phone, inform, Phone, Preparedness, tool | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Old-Fashioned Phone Safety

Many people are beginning to see the wisdom of programming emergency information in their cell phones and digital phone systems. Remember to post or affix emergency instructions and contact information on or next to every phone, including pay phones, fax machines and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) phones. The oldest, simplest phone can still be a critical lifeline to safety.

August 22nd, 2005 | Tags: Phone, Safety | Category: 2005, STAT | Leave a comment

Utilities: Phones

Know your different telephone options. Nothing will be more important to you than reaching loved ones and connecting after a disaster.

Payphones will often be back up before local lines. Keep coins available and note where nearby payphones are located
POTS – Plain Old Telephone Service does not need your electricity to work. Keep a POTS phone where you can find it when you need it. These low-tech old friends draw power from the phone lines, and can still work during a power failure.
Cell phones may work when landlines are down, but they sometimes fail even without a disaster. Program vital numbers in your cell phone(s), and keep a hard copy in case your battery runs out.
Know the emergency backup plans for your digital phone systems.

Remember: Many fax machines, dial-up internet, and DSL providers operate with a regular land phoneline and will not work if that line goes down.

March 21st, 2005 | Tags: Phone, Utilities | Category: 2005, STAT | Leave a comment

Posts tagged Phone

5-Minute Message: Lucky You

5-Minute Message: Communication: HOW to Get Your Message Out

5-Minute Message: Programmed for Safety: The Cell Solution

Old-Fashioned Phone Safety

Utilities: Phones

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