« Just finished the live interview … | Home | Another “21st-century disaster tip”: using Qik in an emergency »
Just in time for Fay: Wireless Foundation posts tips for wireless use in disasters
By WDavidStephenson | August 18, 2008
Just as Fay is reaching the Florida mainland, the Wireless Foundation has posted the series of tips that I created for them on smart use of wireless devices in emergencies!
The introduction to the tips says:
“The Wireless Foundation has compiled useful information to keep wireless customers prepared for emergencies, from an every-day crisis like a flat tire to large-scale disasters such as a hurricane, when electrical and cellular communications systems could both be compromised. Wireless phones have saved countless lives and make our communities safer every day.”
The tips are divided into:
- everyday tips, such as learning the features of your phone’s built-in camera (and, to practice, take and store in the phone a photo of every family member in case of emergencies), or programming emergency speed dial numbers
- practice preparedness, such as learning how to text (and, if you have teens, flattering their egos by asking them to show you how to do it!), since SMS messages are more likely to get through in emergencies.
- after a disaster, such as getting a solar charger so you can still use your cell phone if power is out.
- helping others, such as sending photos of persons authorized to pick up your child in an emergency in case you can’t
- helpful resources, such as the American Red Cross , or Emily Turrettini’s Picture Phoning blog.
Please check out the tips: they could save your life and help you contribute valuable information to help authorities respond to a disaster!
Also, because manufacturers are constantly upgrading phones and entrepreneurs are creating new apps to capitalize on these new features, the Wireless Foundation urges you to contact them if you have other tips, by emailing them at safety@wirelessfoundation.org or calling 202.736.3229.
BTW: I’ve already done that, tipping them off on Qik, the real-time streaming video service: I’m about to record another of my YouTube “21st-century disaster tips you WON’T hear from officials,” about how to use Qik to post real-time video of storm conditions (that’s already been done in the case of floods in the US and Ireland) that can give invaluable situational awareness to officials!
Technorati tags: homeland security DHS FEMA War on Terror crowd-sourcing wisdom of crowds crowdsourcing smart mobs swarm intelligence emergent behavior networked homeland security collaboration location-based services geo-spatial web homeland security 2.0 disaster management 2.0 disaster management VITA Advisories Wireless Foundation disaster planning Tropical Storm Fay Florida hurricane disaster planning 2.0
Sphere: Related ContentTopics: technology, empowering public, policy and politics, collaboration, networked security | |
