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!
