I love the way that smartphones bring libraries-full of information to our pockets. That includes the information we need to prepare for emergencies as well as instructions to respond to emergencies in the moment.
For the iPhone, there is a wonderfully complete and easy-to-navigate app by evolvingmonkeys.com called simply Emergency Preparedness Checklist and Guide. Developed with funding from the San Luis Obispo County (CA) Public Health Department Emergency Preparedness Office, this comprehensive app provides features including
- Checklists to assemble your disaster kit
- A personal medical record database that you can easily export to email to share with medical personnel
- Optional reminders every six months to check and update your food and other supplies
- Instructions and forms for making a family emergency plan
- A place to record insurance and vehicle information
- Basic CPR and first aid information
- Ability to import photos and PDF files of EKGs, X-rays, lab results, discharge summaries, and other medical information, or other disaster-related diagrams and information
- A complete U.S. Military Survival Manual (which at the very least makes for amusing reading – while you wait out a tornado warning, you can read how to “act like the natives” and other military survival skills.)
Because this app may contain personal information, the developer has made it easy to set a passcode to protect any data you enter from prying eyes.
For Android phones, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has developed an app that features:
- information for different types of disasters
- an interactive checklist for developing your emergency kits
- a section to plan emergency meeting locations (your family emergency plan)
- information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster
- a map with FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations, one-stop centers where disaster survivors can access key relief services and shelters
- the FEMA blog
The FEMA app for iPhone and iPad, released last month, is available on the iTunes store. FEMA promises an app for Blackberry in the coming weeks.
Don’t count on the availability of mobile phone service in an actual emergency; many weather-related disasters can wipe out cellular service for a time. Do make use of the resources on these apps to set up and track your emergency supplies, refresh your memory on topics you’ve learned before, and coordinate with family members. If the app is working during an actual emergency, consider it a bonus.
Do you have a favorite smartphone app for emergency preparation? Tell everyone about it here.