Communicating During an Emergency

Communicating During an Emergency:
Alternatives to Phone Calls

I am based on the Florida Gulf Coast. For the past week or so, we have been watching Hurricane Dorian. As the storm gets closer to Florida, the misinformation starts circulating.  And there is a whole lot of misinformation circulating when it comes to communicating with others during an Emergency Event.

Facebook and Twitter are riddled with posts about which app to download so you can still communicate when you have no service.  Cell phones are great, but they are not magic. NO APP will work when you have no service whatsoever. But there are many apps that will function perfectly fine when cell service is down and internet service is up.  You need to have some strategy in mind that does not rely on voice communications and/or working cellular service.  You do need to plan for how you will contact folks when cell lines are overloaded.  In this article, we'll look at what you need to do to prep for this type of situation.

Why Can't I Depend on Cell Service During an Emergency?

Unfortunately, our cell towers are overloaded in many places. Different towers have different carriers, and often, your carrier may not have service on a particular tower. Additionally, different towers have different capacities. During emergencies, certain frequencies may be set aside for Emergency Officials and Governmental communications only, leaving little capacity to serve other callers.  Voice calls are more taxing on the infrastructure than data transmissions, so calls may not go through. Additionally, cell service transmitters are often the first thing to fail in any type of storm.  For this reason, it is better for everyone if you limit voice communications and switch to data communications, whenever possible.  If you must use voice communications, it is preferable to use those that rely on wifi or VOIP, rather than those that utilize the over-taxed cell system.

Ask My Buddy and Alexa Can Summon Help in an Emergency

Alert Your Personal Emergency Network
Using Only Your Voice,
 with Alexa and Ask My Buddy

Turn Your Smart Speaker into an Emergency Alert Device

Alexa and other Smart Home technologies can make life a lot easier for people who live alone, people who have disabilities, and a lot of older people.   Smart Home technologies and Smart Speakers can automate a lot of tasks, and make physical tasks simpler for those with physical limitations.  Smart speakers and other assistive technologies can help a person continue to live independently, in his or her own home, for a longer time. But what these technologies cannot yet do is to call 911.  Wouldn't it be great if Smart Speakers, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, could summon help when an individual needs it?  Well, now they can, thanks to a service called "AskMyBuddy.net."

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

Most of us have seen the commercials. A senior citizen is in distress, but s/he cannot get to a telephone to summon help.  However, the individual wears a pendant, and by pressing a button, s/he can summon assistance from a personal emergency alert network.  And although these devices are marketed to seniors, I know a few women and people with disabilities who live alone and wish they had this "yell for help" capability, but they do not want another monthly expense, especially when they figure they will not use it often. Many people in this category have Alexa or a similar Smart Speaker.    However, despite the fact Alexa has limited calling abilities, she cannot dial 911, no matter how many times you ask her to.  Wouldn't it be nice if Alexa could summon emergency help with a voice command?

Weathering a Storm Part 4: Food and Provisions

Putting Together a Storm Emergency Kit Part 4:
Food, Water, Beverages, 

Provisions, and Miscellaneous Supplies

Feeding Yourself During a Storm Event:
Winners and Losers

This is our final post in a series on preparing for a Storm Emergency and lessons learned from Hurricane Irma.  Part 1 focused on emergency lighting, Part 2 discussed communications, and Part 3 looked at Electronics, Power Accessories, and Entertainment, and talked about how to alleviate boredom during an extended power outage.  Today, we're going to step away from technology for a little bit and look at food, provisions, and miscellaneous items you need to keep in an Emergency Kit.

Food Considerations

When a storm hits, you may need to shelter in place, or you may need to evacuate.  Whether you evacuate to a public shelter or to a motel, you will need to bring your own food. In addition, you cannot count on ANYTHING being open during the storm or its immediate aftermath.  Restaurants, grocers, and convenience stores will close in advance of a Storm Event, and many will not reopen for days.  Thus, your Emergency Kit needs to include at least a week's worth of supplies per person.  And of course all of these supplies need to be shelf-stable, lasting a long time without refrigeration.

If you shelter in place, you may be able to use camp stoves and the like to heat up food. However, if you need to evacuate, you will not be able to use any type of grills or camp stoves. You will not be able to use any type of personal generator either. Thus, ideally your emergency food should consist of items that can be eaten without heating.

Storm Emergencies are very stressful. And for most people, stressful times call for comfort food.  Many people pack their emergency kits full of the foods they SHOULD be eating, rather than the foods they ENJOY eating. This is a big mistake.  Be sure to pack your Emergency Kit with foods you actually enjoy.  Do not overlook snacks.  And also include some of your own, personal, "stress-eating favorites." For many, that means including some form of chocolate in your Emergency Kit.  For others, it may mean nuts or chips.  Whatever your own non-perishable "vice food" is, be sure to include plenty of that in your kit as well.

You WILL need to eat well during an emergency situation. Therefore, try to include protein-packed foods and things that will give you energy. Avoid high sodium foods and foods that tend to dehydrate you.  If your system is at all sensitive, try to avoid foods that will cause flare-ups. Yes, you want some comfort foods, but this is NOT the time to go on a junk food only type binge.  Also make sure you have some high fiber foods in your kit.

Commercially canned foods are better than home canned foods and/or bottled foods.  Canned foods are much less prone to contamination by flood waters than food in bottles or jars.  Food in "pouches" is another good alternative, as it has a long shelf life and is less prone to contamination by floods.

Tech and a Storm Event Part 3: Electronics, Entertainment and Power Accessories--What Worked and What Didn't

Surviving a Storm Event Part 3:

Portable Devices, Power Accessories, and Entertainment:
Winners and Losers

Supplies to Help Avert Boredom During a Hurricane

This is Part 3 in a series about surviving a Storm Event and its aftermath, and focusing on the high tech and low tech supplies that help folks get through a storm. We're looking at what worked well, and what did not.  Part 1 focused on lighting technologies, and Part 2 looked at communications. Today, in Part 3, we're going to look at Power Accessories, Portable Electronics, and Entertainment. Our final installment will look at food and provisions.

Even before Irma officially arrived, many places in her path lost electricity. As Irma made her way through Florida, she took down a lot of power poles and transformers, and many people were left powerless for days.  Without power, we cannot run refrigerators, appliances, Internet modems, entertainment systems, or telephones. We cannot keep all of our devices charged either.  In fact, in the 21st Century, we depend on electricity, and most of us find it very difficult to function without it.  But with proper preparation, and the right supplies in an Emergency Kit, you can make the most of a powerless situation.  This article will discuss some of the things that helped us get through the days without power.

Portable Electronics: Win

Every modern household is equipped with a wide range of electronic devices.  Many of these devices are designed to be portable.  And every type of portable electronic can be useful in a Storm Event.  However, any device that depends on Internet to operate will most likely be useless.  We probably won't be using our Smart Speakers, Amazon Echos, and DVRs during a hurricane.  

Other devices will be extremely useful. Laptops, tablets, cell phones, MP3 players, portable media players, e-readers, and the like are all fantastic to have during a storm. These types of devices hold a whole lot of information in a relatively small space.  With proper preparation, you will find yourself depending on these devices to get you through the storm without losing your mind.  

Tech and a Storm Event Part 2: Communications--What Worked and What Didn't

Surviving a Storm Event, Part 2:
Communications: Winners and Losers

 

This is Part 2 in a series about surviving a Storm Event and its aftermath.  Part 1 discussed Lighting Solutions for your Emergency Kit, and it can be found here.  Having recently lived through Hurricane Irma, Techlaurels is sharing lessons learned from the storm.

As most people know, Irma severely impacted Florida, including the Island where Techlaurels is physically located. While some areas were hit worse than others, most Floridians experienced gas shortages, extended power outages, and a loss of utilities. While power and utilities have been restored, Florida is still cleaning up Storm Debris.  Forecasters warn that we can expect October to be an active Hurricane month. Most of us are NOT waiting for another evacuation to be called. We are restocking our Emergency Kits now. We are also looking at the services that failed us, and reassessing what worked and what did not.

Many of us felt extremely communication-challenged throughout the Storm.  When you are living in the Information Age, it's hard when you cannot access the news or Social Media.  In addition, the little information you're able to receive is plagued with urban legends and false assertions.  Today, we are going to discuss what worked and what did not when it came to communications during the storm.