Given all these benefits in an emergency, I still find it funny that more people do not carry around a cell phone charging stick. Mine brings my iPhone 7 battery to 80 percent. Depending where you are, chargers themselves may be of limited value. In the courthouse building where I work, people can bring in cell phones but not chargers. If someone is caught charging a cell phone, they are arrested and criminally charged with expropriating public resources for personal gain.
On 9/4/17, Deidre Muccio <[email protected]> wrote: > All those national alert systems like Noah may be a done deal soon. Not sure > if there's anyone staffing those departments any longer! > > Deidre > > >> On Sep 2, 2017, at 9:07 PM, M. Taylor <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Prepare for disaster: How your smartphone can help in an emergency >> By Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY >> >> Hurricane Harvey has knocked out a lot of the regular communications >> infrastructure in parts of Texas, but a walkie talkie-like app has >> emerged >> to fill the need. USA TODAY Patrick Tobias seals his phone in a bag after >> taking a picture of his flooded car, behind, as he stands in floodwater >> from >> Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Kingwood, Texas. >> (Photo: >> AP Photo/Gregory Bull) The catastrophic events caused by Hurricane Harvey >> put smartphones to the test , raising the question about what our trusty >> mobile companions can do to help in crises like these. After all, we rely >> on >> these pocket-sized supercomputers for much of our lives, in a normal >> state, >> so surely they can be useful during natural disasters, among other grave >> situations one might find themselves in. Your survival plan should >> include >> your smartphone, and there are a few things you can do in advance for >> emergency preparedness, but you won't be able to rely on your mobile >> device >> for everything. Some thoughts, tips, and tricks to consider for the >> future: >> Rhonda Worthington talks on her cell phone with a 911 dispatcher as she >> gets >> out of her car after her vehicle become stalled in rising floodwaters >> from >> Harvey in Houston on Aug. 28. (Photo: LM Otero, AP) According to the >> Federal >> Communications Commission (FCC), only 4% of the nearly 7,800 cell sites >> in >> Harvey's path were knocked out, affecting nearly 150,000 people. By >> comparison, more than 1,000 cell sites were inoperable during Hurricane >> Katrina in 2005, leaving millions without connectivity. In other words, >> communications networks are getting better at weathering major natural >> events like hurricanes. It's not perfect ' residents in Rockport, Texas, >> suffered the biggest outage last week, and therefore you can't assume >> you'll >> have service in these situations. You do not need to have an active phone >> plan to call 9-1-1 from any smartphone. (Photo: AT&T/Handout) Presuming >> there is cellular service, people are encouraged to send text messages >> and >> emails and posts notifications to Facebook and Twitter about their >> whereabouts and immediate needs, or to look up where local shelters are. >> If >> your smartphone doesn't have coverage in the area you're in during an >> emergency, or you don't have an active cell plan, you can still reach >> 9-1-1 >> from your mobile phone. You can also text 9-1-1, perhaps if you're unable >> to >> talk or need to be silent (perhaps in a terrorist situation), but you >> must >> first be registered for the T9-1-1 service with your wireless service >> provider. Because you don't need to pay for cell service to call 9-1-1, >> it's >> not a bad idea to keep an old and deactivated phone in your emergency >> kit. >> More: Why you might want to own a 'burner phone In the event you have >> power >> and Wi-Fi but no cellular, there are apps that let you make video and >> audio >> calls for help. (Photo: Skype/handout) While not as likely, you might >> find >> yourself in a situation where you've got Wi-Fi, but no cellular service. >> But >> that doesn't mean you can't still make phone calls. Using apps like >> Facebook >> Messenger, Google Duo, Viber, and Fring lets you make free phone calls >> over >> Wi-Fi ' even if there's no cell service. Some may require you setting >> this >> up ahead of time. Skype is also free to another Skype user, and in the >> event >> you need to call a landline or mobile phone, it's dirt cheap to do so at >> about 10 cents per call (if that), but it does require you to deposit a >> bit >> of cash ('Skype Credits') into your account. Some phones are waterproof, >> which could help during some natural disaster, or else pick up a >> waterproof >> case or seal your electronics in a Ziploc bag. (Photo: Samsung/handout) >> But >> if your phone can't withstand water, none of this may matter, and so you >> have a few choices to make going forward. One is to invest in a >> waterproof >> phone, such as the latest Samsung Galaxy or iPhone models. Samsung's >> latest >> crop of devices are IP68-rated ('Ingress Protection'), meaning it could >> be >> submerged in water up to 5 feet and for up to 30 minutes, while iPhone 7 >> is >> IP67-certified for water resistance up to 3 feet, up to 30 minutes. If >> your >> current smartphone isn't waterproof, consider a waterproof case for it. As >> a >> last resort, have some thick Ziploc bags as part of your emergency kit to >> lock your phone into. More: Your smartphone got wet. Here's what not to >> do >> first More: A cellphone drying company drove 1,000 miles to rescue >> Harvey-soaked phones Back-up batteries are essential in an emergency >> situation, but if power is out you might consider one of the hand-crank >> models like this product from Et'n. (Photo: Eton/Handout) Even if you >> have >> cellular service in your area, you may not have power, or be able to >> access >> a working power outlet. And without power, your smartphone is as useless >> as >> the box it came in. And so it's important to have a backup power >> solution, >> such as a portable battery charger (a.k.a. 'booster') on hand, and keep >> it >> charged up, too. An even better idea is to pick up a battery booster for >> your phone with a hand-crank, such as this $29 Eton model, so you can >> charge >> up the battery using the integrated hand turbine power generator. If your >> vehicle is around during an emergency, you can plug your devices into >> your >> car's 12-volt port ('cigarette lighter'). You might also consider a >> backup >> phone that takes batteries. Some also keep a cell signal booster for >> their >> home or vehicle. More: Any port ' or bowling alley ' in a storm: Harvey >> evacuees flock to unlikely places Download maps to access offline, in >> case >> you're unable to get reception ' but you need to do this before there's a >> problem. (Photo: Google/Handout) If you don't have cell service and need >> to >> find a way out of town in case of an emergency, will your mapping >> function >> work on your smartphone? Yes it can. Just like the standalone GPS >> navigation >> units we used to mount to our windshields or dashboards, your smartphone >> can >> still help you get from point A to point B without cell service ' by >> solely >> relying on the GPS sensor inside the device. But there's two things you >> need >> to know. One, you'll need to download map apps that don't require service >> ' >> such as Navmii, CoPilot Premium, or Navigon ' or take advantage of Google >> Maps' new offline feature, but you'll need to download maps ahead of >> time. >> Secondly, while GPS directions will work without service, some of the >> extras, like real-time traffic, will not work without a mobile data >> connection. Accuracy may also be off as smartphone use GPS-A ('assisted') >> technology, aided by cell towers to help you in areas with tall >> buildings, >> tunnels, and other challenges to communicating with satellites about the >> Earth. If downloaded before you need them, these free emergency >> preparedness >> apps are important to keep on your smartphone (Photo: Red >> Cross/screenshot) >> A handful of free emergency preparedness apps can help you in the event of >> a >> crisis ' even if you don't have cell service. Red Cross offers numerous >> apps, in fact, including a Shelter Finder app, First Aid, Hurricane app, >> Earthquake, Wildfire, and others. Each one includes checklists, advice >> during emergency situations (from performing first aid and CPR to >> handling >> food and water during power outages), quizzes, signing up for emergency >> notifications, and more. Similarly, the official FEMA (Federal Emergency >> Management Agency) includes information for all kinds of disasters, >> including tips to creating an emergency kit, and emergency meeting >> locations, maps of important locations, and so on. Finally, the >> aptly-named >> Disaster Alert app offers a real-time map that shows activate (or >> impending) >> incidents, deemed as 'potentially hazardous to people, property, or >> assets' >> according to the PDC DisasterAWARE application. This includes hurricanes, >> floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanos, as well as 'manmade' >> emergency >> situations. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. >> >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone >> list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or >> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the >> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at >> [email protected] >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone > list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: > [email protected]. 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