Margie Carter.
If you’re a person with disaster-news fatigue, you’re not alone. Sometimes I want to cover my eyes and ears — who needs to know all this: active shooters, racial or gender violence, political coups, tornados, fires, floods, earthquakes?
Unfortunately, tuning out isn’t really helpful, nor does it immunize you against a possible disaster in your own life that others will want to know about. Deep breath, steady on, get yourself ready!
One of the first steps you can take in preparing for an emergency is to consider who will need to know and how you will reach them. Here’s what your Seattle Emergency Communication Hub network suggests about developing a plan to communicate with loved ones after a disaster.
If Seattle experiences a strong earthquake or other significant event, everyone will be on their phones trying to communicate. Circuits will be overloaded, and very likely cell phone service will be damaged, and power will go down. Reaching loved ones could be very difficult.
Communicating after a disaster
Communication tech specialists tell us that when service is compromised, a text is more likely to get through than a phone call. And it is sometimes easier to get a text out of the city than across the city. They suggest you:
Designate a trusted person who lives east of Spokane to be your out-of-area contact. Avoid those along the West Coast as they might be likely involved in the same disaster.
Make a list of the cell phone numbers and email addresses of each person in your household and the other loved ones you would want notified after a disaster – including your OOCA. Distribute this list to everyone who has been included.
Set up a group text to practice communicating among this collection of loved ones before there is a disaster.
If, during a disaster, it looks like your household or in-area members aren’t receiving texts, your OOAC can forward your text to these folks in the disaster zone from their location east of Spokane.
Those receiving your messages can also contact loved ones directly after they’ve heard from you, possibly posting your status on social media.
Write down the contact information for each group member, and keep that with your other emergency supplies. Should your phone be damaged, you might be able to borrow a neighbor’s phone to contact your OOAC.
Visit your neighborhood emergency hub
Most Seattle neighborhoods are setting up emergency communication hubs where people can share and get information during a disaster. These hubs often include Ham radio operators who might be able to help email your loved ones using their amateur radio frequencies.
Besides letting loved ones know you’re OK, you will need other information to help you survive until help comes. The hub can help here, too. White boards and other posting setups at these hubs will help neighbors request tools, expertise and assistance, as well as offer things to others in need. An area will be designated for lost and found and for posting information coming from the city and other neighborhood hubs with updates on road conditions, ongoing precautions and available services.
In Madison Park, our emergency communication hub is in the park by the tennis court.
A group of volunteers is steadily organizing communication supplies and operating systems with periodic practice drills. We welcome and could benefit from others joining in with us. Let us hear from you!
Email Madparkhub@gmail.com.