Getting through

The New Zealand government has long advised Kiwis to “Get Ready, Get Thru”, to be prepared for natural disasters. The information is in the Yellow Pages—always available, even without electricity and for people who use their Yellow Pages as a doorstop.

And yet, there’s more.

I’ve written before about how I’ve used social media to let my overseas friends know we’re okay. Something about this disaster that has most touched me, and broken my heart, are the Tweets from people looking for folks they cannot locate.

And then it hit me: Why not use social media in the event of an emergency?

I’ve long had my Twitter account set up so I could Tweet by text message. But it’s also possible to change a Facebook status by text, too, and I’ve now set-up my Facebook account so I can do that.

In any emergency, text messages are more likely to get through than voice calls. So, it occurred to me, a text message to Twitter and/or Facebook can let a lot of people know all at once that one is okay and safe. That’s why I set up Facebook for status updates.

To be honest, it also occurred to me that if one is trapped in a collapsed building, then surely letting a LOT of people know has got to be a good thing. I can’t advocate using social media as a way to let people know you’re trapped, but hey: It can’t hurt!

For all this to work, one more thing is critical: KEEP YOUR CELLPHONE CHARGED! I keep my cellphone on the charger whenever I’m not walking around. It’s a good idea to keep it on a charger at home, at work or in the car. The point is, a fully-charged cellphone is invaluable if one is trapped, so it makes sense to keep it charged.

The whole point in all this is, if you’re prepared, you can get through anything. So, get ready, get through. Your life—or that of someone you love—may depend on it.