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For digital life to carry on, plan ahead for disasters [Florida Keys Keynoter, Marathon](Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 26--Not so many years ago, the big concerns when storms approached were things like bottled water and batteries. Now, when so much of daily life depends on digital devices and online services, it's a good idea to think about how you might have to adjust before, during and after a storm. The following tips regarding cellphones and online service have been compiled based on information provided by AT&T with additions from our experiences operating during storm emergencies: Call central: Have a family communications plan. You can choose someone out of the area to be a central contact -- preferably someone with multiple lines of communication, such as a regular landline phone, cellphone, home and office numbers, answering machine, Internet and even a fax. Make certain that all family members know who to contact if they become separated. Important numbers: Store emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses on your mobile phone. You might want to store a backup paper copy with your insurance papers, and an online copy in a document service like Google Docs. You can even photograph a list and save it on a photo sharing service. It's a good idea to include police, fire department, doctors and other important contacts as well as family members. Getting a charge: Keep wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Think about how you can recharge digital devices when the power's out. You can use a car charger for cellphones and even laptop computers, and have extra mobile phone batteries and disposable mobile phone batteries on hand. Staying dry: The biggest threat to digital devices is water, so figure out some way to store and cary equipment in waterproof pouches, boxes or other containers. Even strong zipper seal bags can work. Dive shops and outdoor gear retailers sell a variety of waterproof containers from cellphone to suitcase size. Call forwarding: If your phone service offers it, you can forward your home number to your wireless phone if you are evacuating. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. If the central office is not operating, voicemail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful. Go wireless: Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device. Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather reports through services like AT&T U-verse Live TV or keep updated with local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast(r) Weather, if you subscribe to those services. If your devices offers Internet service, bookmark your local weather forecast office and other important sites like the National Hurricane Center. You can find those links on KeysNet.com, and there's always Google to search for sites you haven't bookmarked. Get the picture: Cellphones and smartphones all have cameras these days, and you're likely to keep them with you at all times. So, take photos before the storm of things you might need. After a storm, a phone might be the easiest way to make a record of damaged property for your insurance company. Or use a digital camera and keep a copy on a small memory card. Tips for businesses Set up a call-forwarding service to a backup location and set up at least one hotline number for employees, their families, customers and partners. You can record a message on most phone systems with basic information for all parties about the situation and emergency plan. Of course, it's most important to have up-to-date contact information in a form that won't get damaged and is easily accessible, along with a backup. Protect records with regular backups at an off-site location. This can be as simple as copying files to a portable hard drive or USB memory stick that you store offsite, or use an online file backup service. Just be sure it's updated regularly. Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for supply chain continuity for business essentials. Maximizing service The increased calling volume during an emergency can create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals or a slow dial tone. If this happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This allows your original call data to clear the network before you retry the call. ___ (c)2011 the Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, Fla.) Visit the Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, Fla.) at www.keysnet.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |