Emergency Text Messages Can Notify Residents of Open Shelters

We're barely a week into winter and already snow and ice storms and below zero temperatures have invaded the Midwest and caused havoc in people's lives. Not only does this type of weather make it hard to get around, but it can also affect people's safety and well-being.

When ice knocks out power, it takes with it the ability to stay warm and prepare a hot meal, which is why many communities rev up generators and open shelters at churches or schools to give people a place to stay until electricity can be restored. Residents of small, rural communities often go the longest without power because of the distance between communities and the difficulty of travel.

Without electricity, it's unlikely that television news stations will be effective reaching those who need to know the shelter locations. Cell phones, on the other hand, are a great way to communicate in these situations. Communities that have a broadcast communication system in place can quickly send text and voice messages to cell phones to announce the opening of shelters and let people know how best to travel. People can easily find out the latest updates, and community officials can reduce the number of person-to-person contacts they must make to help inform residents of their options. This frees up valuable resources that can definitely be used in other capacities in unpredictable weather situations.

Communities can learn about the benefits of broadcast voice and text messaging services by visiting our Web site - http://www.communicationsmadeeasy.com/. We specialize in serving small, rural communities and have designed our services to fit their budgets.