What's Your Cell Phone Backup Plan

In 2006 Congress passed legislation under the Warning Alert and Response Network Act (WARN) allowing the Federal government access to private cell phones to issue emergency warnings and alerts which resulted in the Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN). WARN requires cell phone provides to activate PLAN technology by April 2012. Participants that will offer PLAN prior to the deadline include Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

PLAN allows authorized national, state or local government officials to send alerts via cell phone providers regarding public safety emergencies, such as a tornado or a terrorist threat. Cell phone providers push the alerts from cell towers to cell phones in the affected area. This technology ensures that emergency alerts do not get stuck in highly congested user areas.

PLAN enables government officials to target emergency alerts to specific geographic areas through cell towers which pushes the information to dedicated receivers in PLAN enabled cell phones. PLAN complements the existing Emergency Alert System implemented by the FCC and FEMA via media service providers.

Customers can opt out of the service but will still receive Presidential alerts even if their GPS locator is turned off. The PLAN technology will allow the messages to take precedence over regular phone calls or text messages so the alerts can get through. Messages will show up on the phone’s front screen, and arrive with a distinct ringtone or vibration. Three types of messages are included in PLAN: level 1 - messages from the President, level 2 - looming threats to safety, and level 3 - amber alerts about missing or abducted children. As of October 2010 the following cell phone providers participate in PLAN www.fcc.gov/pshs/docs/servcies/cmas/MasterCMASRegistry.xls

During a natural disaster cell phone networks quickly get jammed and subscribers are unable to make phone calls. This happened recently with the earthquake that struck the east coast. During a disaster many people rely on cell phones or the internet. If your power is out your only other option is your cell phone. Government agencies are urging subscribers to send text messages instead of making phone calls during a natural disaster.

Using social media and text messages cannot replace voice communications and does not address the cell phone network load problems. If everyone is sending text messages that causes another increase in load and can cause delays in sending and receiving text messages. For people who don’t use social media or cell phones or people who live in rural areas where cell phone coverage is not available there is no way other for them to communicate. The U.S. needs to invest more money in technology to compete with other countries. Japan is working to use renewable energy for its cellphone tower network s with solar, wind or biomass which protects against power grid outages. Japan has also created a cooking pot that can cook food over a campfire and charge a cell phone at the same time which costs $300.

If cell phone companies can provide their executives with million dollar salaries, bonus and perks each year, saved money by transferring their customer services departments to India and other countries, decreased their level of customer service, and made some staff reductions, why can’t they spend more money to upgrade their networks to provide better service to subscribers and handle increased loads during a natural disaster.

Here are 6 tips to prepare for phone interruptions during a natural disaster:
1. Disaster Plan. Create a disaster plan and test it periodically.
2. Don’t wait. Don’t wait until the last minute to take action. Prepare in advance and stay calm. Execute your disaster plan to minimize further damages and safety issues.
3. Communication Plan. Develop a communication plan to contact friends and family and test periodically.
4. Satellite phone. If you live areas that experience frequent natural disasters consider purchasing or renting a satellite phone which connects to satellites in space. They provide functionality similar to cell phones such as voice, paging alerts, messaging service and internet access. Coverage can include the world or specific regions. Prices ranges from $200 to $5,000 for the phone plus talk time ranging from $0.15 to $2.00 per minute.
5. Smartphones Apps. Use emergency communication smartphone applications such as Life360, Guardly, Emergency Distresss Beacon and Quake SOS to connect to family and friends or emergency service providers to identify your location and confirm your safety.
6. Emergency Alerts. Sign up to receive emergency alerts with your city or state government, local school or university, utility company or weather service. You can also sign up for the Emergency Email and Wireless Network to receive alerts from local, state and federal government agencies.

How to Plan for the Unexpected

The East Coast has been hit with 3 snow storms this winter season. Many did not believe the meteorologists predictions because many times in the past they have been incorrect, but this season it seems they were pretty accurate. This accuracy unfortunately left many of us unprepared for the snow and have had "cabin fever" so bad that many people started walking to the store in these dangerous conditions just to get out of the house.

I started having cabin fever but quickly got over it once I wrote a list of all the things I should have done in my spare time that I did not get around to doing. I then began to start working on the list and checking off each item I completed. I felt a sense of accomplishment and did not feel like I was just a couch potato watching t.v. all day.

I have been stuck in the house since it started snowing last Friday and can't say that I am unhappy about the days off. My street needs to be plowed and salted before the additional 10-20 inches that are expected to fall in our area on Tuesday and I am hopeful that they will get around to us. I can't remember when our area has had so much snow; I think back in 1996 we had a huge snow storm.

Every time there is a snow prediction I go to the grocery store to pick up one or two items which are not necessity items just items I want to have. I laugh every time I go because they are always lines of people in the grocery store who wait until the last minute to buy groceries for the snow and are probably the same people every year who repeat the same behavior over and over again which is insanity. Each time you go to the grocery store pick up one or two extra items that will last you for a few which are very helpful if you lose power. Here are 13 tips to help if you experience an emergency or an unexpected situation and are stuck at home for several days.

1. Have a week's supply of food to prepare or eat at least two meals a day.

2. Have a week's supply of non-perishable food - dried foods that does not need to be refrigerated or cooked such as canned foods, dry cereal, fruit or protein bars, and soups.

3. Have a week's supply of toiletries, prescription drugs and nonprescription drugs such as cold medicine, aspirin, anti-diarrhea medication, heartburn medicine, upset stomach relief, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, a first aid kit and vitamins.

4. Buy batteries, flashlights and a portable radio.

5. If you live in a home consider buying a generator, wood-oven stove or kerosene lights to keep your house warm and provide light.

6. Buy a week's supply of bottled water.

7. Buy a thermometer.

8. Know where you gas line, cable line, and closest fire hydrants are located in the event of an emergency so that repair crews can fix the problem quickly.

9. If you are snowed in, help out your neighbors if you are physically able. Don't shovel your snow onto your neighbor's property or park in an empty space that someone shoveled out. Take time to shovel out your car and driveway. You can get sued if someone walks on your property and falls.

10. Check on loved ones often to make sure they are safe and have enough food, water and heat.

11. If you drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle such as a truck or hummer assist others who need to get to doctor's appointments, hospitals, or go to the grocery store.

12. Clean off your car completely. Many drivers only clean off a portion of the snow on their cars and when driving down the street or on the highway snows flies off sometimes causing accidents or causing cars behind them to swerve out of the way. Imagine how you would feel if someone died in a car accident trying to swerve out of the way of snowing flying off of your car.

13. Use caution and common sense. Don't drive down a snowy or icy street; you will get stuck and will appear on t.v. like many drivers who thought they could get through the snow.