Businesses Can Soon Be Certified in National Emergency Preparedness

The Department of Homeland Security is planning to initiate a new program that will allow private businesses to become certified as a "prepared" organization. Businesses, non-profit organizations and universities will be able to receive emergency preparedness certification from a DHS accreditation system. The program will establish training and planning criteria that organizations will have to meet in order to receive certification.

There will likely be a communications component of this plan, and Alerts Made Easy is prepared to help organizations meet any requirements necessary. Alerts Made Easy has already earned a $5,000 grant from the Milliken Regional Entrepreneur Network (MREN) and a $5,000 Challenge Grant from the Illinois Homeland Security Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (HSIEC) for our ability to help organizations implement an emergency communications plan.

The Homeland Security Announcement is below. We encourage you to take the initiative and great started now to create your own emergency communications plan!

Secretary Napolitano Announces New Proposed Standards for Private Sector Preparedness

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced new proposed standards for a 9/11 Commission-recommended program for the private sector to improve preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

"Preparedness is a shared responsibility and everyone—including businesses, universities and non-profit organizations—has a role to play," said Secretary Napolitano. "Ensuring our private sector partners have the information and training they need to respond to disasters will strengthen our efforts to build a culture of preparedness nationwide."

DHS published a notice in the Federal Register today seeking public comment on three new standards identified for adoption under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep is a partnership between DHS and the private sector that enables private entities—including businesses, non-profit organizations and universities—to receive emergency preparedness certification from a DHS accreditation system created in coordination with the private sector.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

The proposed standards, developed by the National Fire Protection Association, the British Standards Institution and the ASIS International, were selected based on their scalability, balance of interest and relevance to PS-Prep from a group of 25 standards proposed for consideration following the publication of a Federal Register notice in December 2008 announcing the program.

In addition to the standards in the notice posted today, DHS is establishing classifications and methods of certifications that recognize the unique needs and characteristics of small businesses.

Individuals wishing to submit comments on the proposed standards, recommend additional standards for consideration or comment on other programmatic aspects of PS-Prep may obtain a comment form and instructions for submission online at www.regulations.gov, in Docket ID: FEMA-2008-0017. DHS requests comments by Nov. 15, though it will accept submissions at any time thereafter.

For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/privatesectorpreparedness/.

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ALERTS MADE EASY TM TO PARTICIPATE IN INNOVATE ILLINOIS COMPETITION

Alerts Made Easy TM has been selected to represent the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network (MREN) as semi-finalists in the Fifth Annual Innovate Illinois Competition sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Center. The competition is designed to recognize high-growth or potential high-growth businesses in Illinois that plan to launch (early stage) or have launched (later stage) an innovative product or service.

Innovate Illinois is a highly selective entrepreneurial competition where local companies compete for a total of $100,000, with the two top honorees (one early stage company and one later stage company) each receiving $40,000. The program is jointly administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Center. The Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network provides small business consulting services and training through Millikin University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, an integral part of the university’s Tabor School of Business.

Michelle Klemm Tjelmeland and Mark Roberts, owners of Alerts Made Easy™ will make a five-minute “fast pitch” presentation in front of a panel of judges. Twelve finalists (six in each track – early stage and later stage) will be announced at a reception following the presentations. The winners will compete in the Statewide Finals held in Chicago in November.

“We were very proud to be represented by such an innovative business from our region in the competition,” said Connie Beck, MREN director. “As a current client and previous MREN Challenge Grant Award recipients, it is an honor to have this potential high-growth business compete against companies representing the state’s other 15 entrepreneurship centers,” Beck concluded.

Alerts Made Easy™ is a broadcast communications system that allows customers to send one message in four different ways simultaneously—web, e-mail, text message and phone. AME also syncs with popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. At $1.50 per contact, per year, AME is an affordable, easy-to-use product that addresses the communication needs of many different organizations, including school districts, government agencies, colleges and universities, churches, non-profit organizations, employers and many more. There is currently no one else pursuing the company’s target customers with a four-in-one communication model. Some customers can be up and running in as little as five minutes.

“Being a semi-finalist for Innovate Illinois is an amazing experience for Mark Roberts, co-founder, and me,” Tjelmeland explained. “We will have the opportunity to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs and see the incredible things they are doing in the State of Illinois,” continued Tjelmeland. “We were fortunate to compete last year as well, and learned so much from our experience. Through this event, we developed several business relationships which have helped us gain the national exposure necessary to bring our product, Alerts Made Easy™ - The Original 4-in-1 Communication System™, to market.” For more information, visit www.alertsmadeeasy.com or call 800-605-0082.

MREN represents two of the state’s 15 entrepreneurship centers funded by DCEO. The Decatur center is located in the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Tabor School of Business at Millikin University, and the Carlinville center is located in the Macoupin County Education Center at Lewis and Clark Community College. In addition to providing business develop services and training to start-up and high-growth businesses, the centers administer a Challenge Award Grant program for business expansion. Businesses can apply for up to $5,000 in matching grant funds in order to acquire outside professional consulting services that will help them “grow their businesses.”

For more information about the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network, its services, training programs, or the grant program, contact Connie Beck in Decatur at 217-424-6267 or cbeck@millikin.edu, or Art Knippel in Carlinville at 217-854-9652 or aknippel@millikin.edu. Information about the MREN can also be found online at www.millikinren.com.

Alerts Made Easy Reaches Semi-Finals in Innovate Illinois Competition

Alerts Made Easy has just been notified that we are semi-finalists in the Innovate Illinois competition!! Here's the note we received:

Congratulations on behalf of the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network (MREN) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for participating in Innovate Illinois. Although the judges had a difficult time choosing semi-finalists, we are pleased that you and your company, www.alertsmadeeasy.com will be representing us at the semi-finals in Champaign, September 24.

Innovate Illinois is statewide entrepreneurial and innovation competition recognizing high-growth entrepreneurs. Businesses compete on the merits of their innovations to be named the most innovative company in the state by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Out of the hundreds of companies that compete, four will win a total of $80,000 in cash prizes.

Needless to say, we are thrilled!

We saw AME in action when the tornadoes hit Williamsville and Loami last week, and we're so glad to know that it is helping people stay in touch and stay safe! If you're not sure how AME can work for you, you can send a free test message to yourself from our site. Or, give us a call, and we'll show you the benefits!

Tornados Destroy Homes In Central Illinois

The storms that tore through central Illinois on Wednesday left quite a path of destruction in Williamsville and Loami, two communities right in our backyard. Altogether, about 47 homes and buildings were completely destroyed or severely damaged, and several others will need significant clean-up and repair as well. Many areas are without power and phone service, and rescuers had to go door-to-door to help residents evacuate their damaged houses. At least 19 people suffered injuries that required a visit to the hospital. To read all of the stories of survival, visit the Springfield State Journal-Register's Web site.

Alerts Made Easy played a role in helping to keep kids safe during the storm! One of our customers sent out an emergency alert to parents letting them know that their kids would be held at school until the storm threat was over. Officials sent this message:

"We are holding students at school until after the threat of severe weather has passed."

This is EXACTLY why we are so passionate about the mission of Alerts Made Easy. There are many stories of people who just barely made it indoors as debris started flying around outside. Some people were caught in their vehicles and had no time to take cover. Luckily, the parents of the kids at this school didn't have to worry about their safety, wondering if their kids were out walking or riding their bikes home as the storms hit. We are happy to be able to provide that all important communication to give parents peace of mind!

We wish everyone affected by the storms the best as they clean up and try to regain a sense of home and safety. It's so encouraging to hear about all of the volunteer efforts and support that community members are providing. You are all in our thoughts and prayers!

Federal Government Works to Enhance Emergency Broadcast Message System

The Department of Homeland Security is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enhance the current public alert and warning systems to "enhance a national capability to deliver geographically targeted, timely, and effective alert messages to mobile devices" (read the press release below). A group of stakeholders met earlier this month to discuss the possibilities of expanding the federal emergency alert system to include mobile phones.

While it may seem the government is a little behind the curve in this endeavor, there is good news. First, we know the technology exists because Alerts Made Easy can do it! And second, you don't have to wait for the federal government to provide these alerts. With Alerts Made Easy, anyone, including state and federal government agencies, city and county governments, emergency management agencies, and school districts, can implement their own geographically targeted, timely, and effective broadcast message system.

We are excited to be able to provide this technology to empower local governments to keep their citizens safe. Most of the time, it's the local governments, law enforcement, and fire departments coordinating the response and recovery effort after a disaster or during an emergency situation. They are on the ground and in the know, with eyes and ears close to the situation and in the trenches, and they need the ability to respond quickly. So, while it's certainly an advantage to have a national, coordinate alert message system, we know that having the ability to broadcast messages from the local level is just as, if not more, important in critical situations.

Press Release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Wed, August 05, 2009

WASHINGTON - In effort to enhance the nation’s emergency broadcast system, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Command, Control and Interoperability Division (CID) of the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate, convened stakeholders from all dimensions of the alerts and warnings community Thursday to determine the next steps to implementing the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS).

“Early warning is integral to the health and wellbeing of both people and property across our nation,” said Dr. David Boyd, Director, CID. “Through this inaugural CMAS Forum, CID has effectively begun laying the groundwork for a more effective solution and for making the system a reality for the American public.”

Since they were first developed, public alert and warning systems have primarily consisted of messages that interrupt regular broadcasts over television and radio to provide emergency information. With well over 80 percent of the American population subscribing to commercial mobile services, CID is working under a memorandum of agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enable and enhance a national capability to deliver geographically targeted, timely, and effective alert messages to mobile devices.

Today’s forum brought together key stakeholders to build a coalition of local, state, Federal, industry and non-governmental organizations, develop a shared understanding of the CMAS research, development, test and evaluation efforts, and identify important next steps. This is the first time a group of this magnitude and specialty has convened to address CMAS since the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC)

Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee (CMSAAC) held its final meeting on October 3, 2007.

For more information, contact:
DHS S&T Press Office
Phone: (202) 254-2385

Top 10 Ways a Volunteer Fire Department Can Use a Broadcast Communication System

Volunteer fire departments have a big responsibility to protect life and property in their districts. And a lot of their success and effectiveness depends on frequent communication with each other and with the patrons they serve. But because of their volunteer status, members of a department don't always see each other regularly, and it takes extra effort to communicate and stay informed of the latest department news and trainings.

It's also easy for a department to go "unnoticed" by the public, at least until a major event happens or a fire affects them personally. Some people don't realize the time commitment involved to attend meetings, trainings, and generally prepare response protocols for the smallest of grass fires to largest of building fires. It's always helpful for departments to plan regular communications with the people they serve to remind them of that there are trained and dedicated people ready to help in times of emergencies. It's also helpful to remind patrons of the ways in which they can help prevent fires and keep themselves safe.

A broadcast communication system is a simple, yet timely and effective way to facilitate this communication, both to the public and to each member of the department. From sending reminders of fire dangers and safety precautions to announcing member meetings and trainings, a fire department can benefit short, regular contact with the public and members. Here are the top 10 ways a volunteer fire department could implement one:

1. Remind members about business meetings and training events.
2. Remind the public to check their smoke detectors on a monthly basis.
3. Notify residents of a potentially hazardous situation and implement an evacuation plan.
4. Inform residents (especially in rural areas) of high fire dangers and ask for their help in using extreme caution.
5. Recruit more volunteers to help serve the district.
6. Send out monthly fire safety tips to keep residents thinking about fire prevention.
7. Inform residents of special events happening at the fire station, such as health fairs, fundraisers, recruitment activities, etc.
8. Notify residents of road/street closures due to emergency situations.
9. Communicate with residents during times of major disasters, such as a significant fire event, tornado, hurricane, flood, etc. Departments can send messages about shelter options, food, and disaster assistance.
10. Communicate with members during significant events to coordinate response and relief efforts.

8 Ways a Church Can Use a Broadcast Communications System

Churches and other faith-based organizations are always full of activity. From services on Sunday to meetings and Bible studies throughout the week to responding to community needs and emergency situations, many people rely on church organizations to be available for support and inspiration.

That's why churches are great candidates for a broadcast communications system! Implementing a service like Alerts Made Easy can help church leaders keep their members informed about meetings, events, community needs, and emergency requests. The communication reaches everyone it needs to, and the transmission is fast and easy. In a matter of minutes, recipients will be reading or hearing messages and jumping to action.

Here are 8 ways a church might use a service like Alerts Made Easy:

1. Send daily/weekly inspirational messages or Bible verses to members.
2. Remind members of weekly Bible study or prayer groups.
3. Request prayers for a particular member or family facing a challenging situation.
4. Request donations for a food pantry or clothing drive.
5. Remind youth of confirmation classes or youth group gatherings.
6. Inform parents of special Sunday School events.
7. Recruit volunteers to help care for people in an emergency situation, such as a fire or natural disaster.
8. Send notes to specific members to remind them of council or elder meetings.

And because Alerts Made Easy can easily integrate with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking sites, churches have a greater ability to stay in touch with youth and younger members of the congregation or church family.

Tell us how you use Alerts Made Easy and send us your success stories. We might use your ideas on our next blog!

Top 10 Ways Schools Can Use a Broadcast Communications System

Summer has flown by! Parents and students are quickly realizing it's time to prepare for a new school year. And no doubt, teachers and administrators have been planning all summer to ensure a successful year.

Part of this planning should include a broadcast communication system strategy. If school districts already have one in place, they should be evaluating their current service, reviewing the effectiveness of messages that have been sent, and exploring new ways to take advantage of the service. If school districts still don't have a broadcast messaging service, now is a good time to learn how easy it is to implement one, especially Alerts Made Easy!

Here are just a few ways schools can implement a broadcast communications system:

• Inform parents of Parent/Teacher's Conferences, PTA, or Parent Advisory Committee meetings
• Announce school closings due to weather or other unexpected situations.
• Remind parents of scheduled days off or early dismissals.
• Tell parents about a bus delay due to mechanical problems or traffic issues
• Remind teachers of workdays or in-service trainings
• Announce cancellations of school events, such as athletics, club meetings, music concerts, art shows, etc.
• Remind school board members of an upcoming meeting.
• Congratulate the success of students for specific academic, athletic, music, drama, and other noteworthy achievements.
• Request parent volunteers for school-sponsored field trips or other activities.
• Inform parents of an emergency situation and let them know where and when they can pick-up their children.

5 Ways a Restaurant Can Use Alerts Made Easy

Alerts Made Easy is a convenient communications tool for restaurants to stay in touch with customers and employees. Short, simple broadcast messages about your daily specials and new menu items can bring hungry customers to your door!

Here are 5 ways a restaurant can implement Alerts Made Easy both as a marketing strategy and as a communication tool to keep employees informed:

1. Announce daily and evening meal specials.
2. Send a "mention this message" promotion to customers offering them a great deal if they mention the message they received.
3. Entice customers to be the first to try new recipes and products you have just introduced.
4. Remind employees of staff meetings or special events.
5. Send special "happy birthday" or "happy anniversary" messages to your customers as a way to subtly remind them that your place is a great place to celebrate!

10 Ways a City Can Use Alerts Made Easy

City leaders have a big responsibility to keep their citizens safe and secure. Alerts Made Easy lets them keep the people informed with the click of a button or one simple phone call. And the alerts go out almost instantly, so announcements are always timely.

Here are 10 ways a city can implement Alerts Made Easy a communication tool to keep citizens informed:

1. Warn citizens of approaching severe weather and advise them where to take shelter.
2. Remind citizens of city council meetings, zoning commission meetings, and other important events.
3. Inform citizens of street closures due to water main breaks or traffic tie-ups
4. Announce evacuation plans when certain areas are threatened by a fire or chemical spill.
5. Inform citizens of office hour changes or closings for during holidays and other
6. Warn citizens of a potentially dangerous criminal situation and ask them to be on alert.
7. Announce special events, such as community picnics, celebrations, or traditions.
8. Give citizens the latest important information after a natural disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane.
9. Advise citizens of water contamination problems and issue health alerts.
10. Announce a change in city services, such as garbage pick-up.

5 Ways a Retail Store Can Use Alerts Made Easy

Retail stores can take advantage of the ease in which Alerts Made Easy allows owners and managers to communicate with customers and employees. Customers just may be out and about and nearby when they receive your text message announcing new products or a special sale. They won't be able to resist stopping by to check it out!

Here are 5 ways retail stores can implement Alerts Made Easy both as a marketing strategy and as a communication tool to keep employees informed:

1. Announce new sales and in-store promotions.
2. Tell customers about the latest shipment of new products.
3. Send a special coupon code to customers for special "insider" savings.
4. Remind employees of staff meetings or special events.
5. Inform customers of new store hours or closings due to weather or other emergencies.

Let us know how you use Alerts Made Easy. Leave a comment or send us an e-mail. We'd love to hear your success story and we might even publish it!

Take Control of Information in an Emergency

A recent article by Dian Schaffhauser on the Campus Technology Web site describes an incident that took place on the Napa Valley Community College campus back in April. Two armed robbers had assaulted a man, stolen a vehicle, and then headed straight for the college campus. Security officials quickly put the campus on lock-down and then used an emergency text message alert system to notify students and staff of the situation. In the end, no one was hurt, the suspects were caught (one in the college library), and the stolen property was recovered.

Some very interesting points were mentioned in the article:

• The college does not give college e-mail accounts, and not all students check e-mail while on campus
• Students who were locked down were communicating with the press on blogs
• Students also used Twitter to communicate with each other and the outside world during the incident

The head of the college's security said they would typically try to limit the information released during such emergencies. But they just couldn't do it. Too many people were able to text and access social networking sites to let others know what was happening. It became clear that the college had to take control of the situation by sending out accurate, rumor-dispelling facts to keep the public aware and alert, but calm.

The lesson of this story is that if YOU don't take the initiative to control the information, others will. There is literally no way to stop people from jumping on Twitter, Facebook, or their blog and to tell everyone online about an emerging incident. Cell phones, iPhones, and Blackberries are everywhere. With an emergency broadcast communications system like Alerts Made Easy in place, you can quickly distribute the right information and show that you are in control, aware, and prepared.

As a result of this incident, the college's security team will likely be monitoring blogs, Twitter feeds, and other sites when future emergencies occur. This way, they can respond to false information in real time and keep the public informed of the threats, or non-threats, that are present.

If you haven't already considered monitoring social networking sites in your emergency communications plan, it's time to do some strategic thinking!

Listen to our radio ads!

Alerts Made Easy officially launched last week, and we've been busy getting the word out. If you're in Central Illinois and you've been listening to the radio lately, you may have heard us. Our ads are running about 30 times a day!

Click here to access our Web page where you can hear our radio spots. Then tell us what you think!

Alerts Made Easy Launched Innovative, Web-based Communications System

Springfield, Illinois – June 15, 2009 – Alerts Made Easy^TM (AME) launches the innovative new 4-in1 Web-based communication system that allows users to send broadcast messages via text, e-mail, phone and Web simultaneously, with the click of a mouse.

The one-of-a-kind system, locally-owned and developed by Internet technology experts Michelle Tjelmeland (e-websmart.com and ciafonline.org) and Mark Roberts (goweb1.com), works by sending alerts to four different types of messaging devices: the Web, cell phones and text messaging devices, e-mail accounts, and phones through innovative auto dialer software. AME can also be easily integrated with popular social networking applications, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and most blogs.

Users can send a message to ten people or thousands within minutes, simply by logging into a secure Web-based account. If Internet access is not available, a user also has the option to call AME’s 24/7 concierge and technical support service to have the message sent on their behalf. This service is especially useful in cases of emergencies or natural disasters.

“When we developed Alerts Made Easy we had three main objectives, make it powerful, make it simple, and make it affordable,” says Mark Roberts, co-owner and developer. “We wanted to offer an alerts tool like no other – and one that anybody could use.”

The AME solution is “scalable”, which means that it works just as well for small, independent professionals and soccer coaches as it does for large Fortune 500 companies. Unlike competitor products, which require users to sign up for large annual plans and charge for functionality, whether it’s used or not, AME offers affordable, tiered pricing plans that fit the size and scope of any customer’s needs.

AME customers include day cares, private and public schools, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, sports teams, restaurants, retail stores, fitness clubs, churches, special interest clubs, small business owners, and large employers.

Co-owner and developer Michelle Tjelmeland says, “Because AME is a Web-based solution, even the most non-technical user can log on and send out a message instantly.”

“In fact,” adds Tjelmeland, “our customers can send their first message within minutes of signing up. There is no equipment to buy and no software to download.”

To get started, users simply go to www.AlertsMadeEasy.com. Upon signing up, users can immediately login, enter their contacts and start sending messages. The system is safe, secure and fully redundant.

To send an instant test message or to learn more about how Alerts Made Easy can simplify the way your business or organization communicates, go to: www.AlertsMadeEasy.com or contact Michelle Tjelmeland at 1-800-605-0082 or info@AlertsMadeEasy.com.

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Emergency Communication Systems Works Perfectly When School Bus Crashed in Chino Valley, AZ

The value of a broadcast emergency communication system was proven once again when a school bus crashed in Chino Valley, AZ earlier this week. Luckily, all injuries were minor and everyone will be okay. Parents were notified of the accident via the school district's emergency notification system and could quickly respond to be with their children. The principal said the system worked perfectly.

Whether you're communicating about an emergency or just have timely messages that need to go out to a group of people, a broadcast communication system like Alerts Made Easy is an invaluable resource. It's an affordable solution that's worth every penny when parents need to know that their kids are safe, and kids need their parents for comfort and security.

You can read the article from the Chino Valley Review here.

Emergency E-Mail Alerts New Yorkers of Building Collapse

Having a building collapse is the last think you would expect to happen just out of the blue. But it has happened just the last week. In New York, a 5-story vacant building collapsed on Thursday, April 30. Luckily, no one was injured in this incident, but emergency crews did bring in rescue dogs to search for anyone who might have been trapped or buried in the rumble. It happened just after 6 am. Had it been much later, a number of people could have been seriously injured.

The incident in New York happened just a few blocks from the World Trade Center. With windows shattering, bricks falling, and a big cloud of dust covering the area, residents were likely on edge. But officials had emergency broadcast communication tools immediately available to quickly calmed their fears. The New York Daily News reported that, "residents in the area... were alerted to the accident by an emergency e-mail service."

This is an example of a totally unexpected situation that required quick action and fast communication. Think this wouldn't happen in your small community? Think of grain elevators, churches, water towers, schools, or other old historial sites that are often found in small rural towns. And, then consider how fast your local media crews could respond to your location to communicate any instructions to your citizens, or calm their fears. Just when you think it can't happen, it will. Be prepared and call Alerts Made Easy to find out more!

Swine Flu Threat Requires Emergency Broadcast Communications System

The sudden outbreak of human "Swine Flu" seems to have public health officials on alert. Right now, it seems to be more seriously internationally than it is here in the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control reporting only 64 confirmed cases here. The World Health Organization has raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4, indicating the confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause “community-level” outbreaks.” The increase in the pandemic alert phase indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased.

There is a lot of hype and media coverage over this new illness, leaving people to wonder about their risk of getting the disease and what will happen if they get infected. Right now, we look to media updates from the CDC and local public health agencies to keep us up-to-date on new outbreaks and advise us on appropriate action. This situation calls for broad communication efforts, which can easily be accomplished with Alerts Made Easy.

Having an easy-to-access broadcast communication system in place can reduce the stress of the situation. We are continually being told not to panic, but panic is not always easy to control if you don't have a good way to distribute information effectively. With an emergency broadcast communication system, public health officials can send the appropriate messages at the appropriate time, stemming chaos but keeping possible outbreaks in check by asking citizens to avoid certain places or seek medical help for specific symptoms. The system could also be used to let citizens know when and where to obtain medications that could prevent the flu or lessen its impact.

And should a pandemic really hit the United States, an emergency broadcast system can quickly disseminate information about school, daycare, and business closings, doctor and hospital access, and quarantine information. Let's hope that's not necessary, but AME knows it's always best to be proactive and prepared for whatever emergency is waiting to erupt!

Emergency Text Message System Contributes to Low Crime Rate on TTU Campus

The Herald Citizen in Cooksville, TN, recently reported that the crime rate on the campus of Tennessee Tech University is dropping. TTU Police Chief Gay Shepherd gives the credit to pro-active programs, such as safety awareness programs, and also the campus emergency text message alert system.

"Shepherd said the university's pro-active approach to fighting crime includes the emergency text message alert system which notifies students, employees, and guests of safety concerns or incidents," the article stated.

With an emergency alert system, college and university are always prepared to contact students, faculty, and staff at a moment's notice. And those messages are delivered quickly, allowing recipients to be extra alert and avoid potentially dangerous situations.

When tragedies happen, we always hear that they could have been prevented, if only action would have been taken early. TTU is a great example of a campus taking the proactive approach to prevent crime, and being willing to recognize when students needs to be alerted to danger. AME encourages other organizations and public safety officials to take the proactive approach when it comes to citizen safety.

Contact AME today to find out how easy it is to institute a text message alert system!

Emergency Text Message Notifies Students of Chemical Hazard in Lab

Just this weekend, a chemical spill in the Biology building at the University of Maryland-Baltimore prompted officials to temporarily close 3rd floor of the building. How did they notify students? A simple text message using their emergency text alert message.

In later communications, students were informed that there was a possible chemical hazard in a 3rd floor lab, and as a precautionary measure, the floor was closed. A third text message indicated the building was accessible, but a particular room was still closed. The Maryland Department of the Environment was called in handle the situation.

It may have not been particularly widespread or life-threatening, but the situation was still potentially dangerous. Had students arrived at that building to complete labs or other group exercises, it would have been a inconvenience to find the building closed. With the help of an emergency text message system, the University had the right tools in place to quickly communicate, dispel rumors, answer questions, and notify students of the building's reopening. Having an emergency communications plan in place for even "minor" or isolated emergencies makes handling the situation much easier!

Source: http://www.retrieverweekly.com/blog/2009/04/13/chemical-spill-in-biology-building/

Warning Employees of Severe Weather

Springtime often brings severe weather, especially in the Midwest. Strong thunderstorms with gusty winds, large hail, dangerous lightening, and even tornados can pop up quickly without much warning. This can create ominous situations for people who work outdoors and don't have the benefit of watching radar or hearing weather alerts every 5 minutes.

If you are an employer with employees performing duties offsite, Alerts Made Easy can play a significant role in keeping them safe. By simply entering the cell phone numbers of all your employees into your AME contact list, you have an instant noficiation system that will reach your employees whereever they happen to be, indoors or out. Your employees can decide whether they prefer to receive text messages or phone calls. Then, when severe weather is approaching your area, you can send an announcement to everyone at once by logging on to our Web site. This gives them the opportunity and the time they need to find a stopping point, put tools and equipment away, and seek shelter is necessary. If you had to call each individual or team out on the road, you might not warn them in time.

There's a definite advantage to having every employee on the AME system. Supervisors or team leaders won't always get the message, but if you distribute it to all employees, you're mostly likely to deliver the important warning to someone in every group. Even if you have another means of communication to keep in touch with your offsite employees, there's no guarantee that your first plan will work or be completely effective. AME provides another reliable way for you to keep your employees up-to-date on changing weather conditions and allow them to protect themselves from severe weather.

Changing Cell Phone Policies

So I would think this could go without saying, but it's worth bringing up. Actually, it's essential that college and university administrators and faculty consider this: If you're going to broadcast emergency text messages to students, you have to allow students to check their text messages during class.

I mention this because I recently read an article by the Daily Eastern News, the newspaper of Eastern Illinois University (my alma mater). According to the paper, the university's Vice President for Academic Affairs said a new statement of principle would be initiated this semester to ensure that an emergency text message could get into classrooms in a timely way.

"'This principle', he said, 'would recognize the faculty's responsibility for setting the classroom protocols and ground rules for decorum. The statement would also make sure faculty could not be in a position of making it impossible for a text message to get through to the class.'"

We certainly understand how disruptive cell phone use can be, especially in a classroom setting. On the other hand, if there is a campus emergency that endangers the lives of students and faculty, the message needs to get through, whether class is in session or not. That's the intent behind emergency text messages and a campus safety policy. Students in classrooms aren't able to easily find out about threats to safety because, in the classroom, they typically don't have access to television, radio, or telephones. That's why sending messages to cell phones is so important.

Students and faculty have the capability to put cell phones on vibrate mode. If it becomes apparent that several phones are vibrating at the same time, then it's worth allowing the students to check.

What do you think? Do emergency text messages require a nullification of a "no cellphone policy" in college classrooms? What's you suggestion to allow emergency messages through while still preserving an undisturbed learning environment?

"Rain Out" Alerts for your Team

Spring is finally here, which means the start of spring and summer outdoor activities for your kids. With outdoor events, the weather always plays a factor, and unfortunately, a little rain can put a real damper on your day.

If you have kids on a sports team, or have ever coached and been in charge of kids' sports activities, you've probably made dozens of phone calls to announce a game cancellation or change in practice schedule because or rain or mud. What a pain that can be! Not only do you have to ensure that you have all of the phone numbers available and within reach, but you also have to spend time dialing each number and talking with each parent or kid. You could rely on a calling tree, but there's no guarantee the message will make it to the last few names on the list.

Alerts Made Easy is a much more convenient solution! It is affordable and you can set it up quickly, easily, and just one time at the start of practice season. Put all of your team members' phone numbers and e-mails in the system, and you'll have instant access to your list. Plus, you record one voice message or send one e-mail (or both simultaneously) and you're done! Everyone finds out at the same time within minutes of your call that a game has been cancelled due to bad weather.

As a coach, how many times have you made it to the field for a Little League game, only to find out an afternoon rain shower has left the field too muddy to play? Now, it's back home to find your phone list tell players there's no game. Or, you can pull out your cell phone while still at the field, call AME's concierge desk, and have them send out the message for you. And you're done! Parents appreciate the advance notice because they save a trip to the ball field and have more time to make other arrangements or plans.

When you have decided on a day and time to reschedule that game, you can let your players know that information with a quick log-on to the Web site to initiate the message. AME makes coaching or participating in spring and summer sports that much easier, taking away some of the headaches and making it more fun for everyone!

AME Helps Churches Communicate with Members

A church may not be the first organization that comes to mind when you think about broadcast communication, but actually, there are many ways that churches can use Alerts Made Easy as a quick and simple communication tool.

One of the most obvious and helpful is prayer requests. Churches are often notified of illnesses, hospitalizations, accidents, and other events where spiritual support from the community is greatly appreciated. With a broadcast communication system, a pastor or church secretary can quickly send e-mails, voice messages, text messages, and post notices on the church Web site to let members know of individuals and families who could use extra support during a difficult time.

On a related note, church communities are known for their quick response in times of emergencies, whether in a community or a family. AME could quickly mobilize volunteers to help families displaced by fires, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters when time really matters. Requests for food, clothing, personal toiletries, transportation, and other immediate needs are common at this time, and a broadcast alert can facilitate gathering these items quickly.

AME is useful for a church at times other than emergencies as well. It's common for churches to have a number of different groups involving, Bible studies, mission and outreach, teachers, leaders, councils, elders, deacons, choirs, and youth groups. A church can set up each of these groups in AME to easily send out messages to the appropriate people. This is useful for sending reminders for meetings, events, practices, activities, and outings. With so many youth carrying cell phones and "texting" these days, a youth group is sure to get a response by sending text messages about youth group events!

Other convenient AME uses:

• Sunday school leaders can remind parents of special childrens' events or programs
• Youth leaders can recruit adult volunteers to chaperon youth outings or trips
• Bible School coordinates can recruit teachers and activity helpers
• Bible study leaders can send out meeting reminders
• Pastors can send a daily Bible verse or inspirational message to parish members
• Administrators can notify members of changes in a church schedule or cancellation of meetings due to weather or power outages

And the best thing about AME - it's totally affordable for churches big and small! It's also easy to use, which is helpful in churches because leaders and volunteers can change frequently.

I'm sure you can think of other ways that your church could put AME to use for your members. Let us know what they are by adding your comments to our blog.

Officials in Australia Implement Text Message Warning For First Time

Earlier this week, officials in Victoria, Australia took advantage of cell phone technology by sending the first SMS text message to every mobile phone in the state to warn citizens that weather conditions were conducive to wildfiles. After the tragic fires that devasted areas of Australia last month, it's no wonder that government officials are now asking citizens to be extra alert.

It's unfornate that it took such a horrible event to bring attention to the usefulness of broadcast text messaging. But in this most recent situation, Victoria officials realized the property and life-saving potential and used this tool as a pre-emptive measure. This is a lesson that all emergency management officials here in the United States should embrace as well. Simple preparation now can put a system into place that can save lives and property. Broadcast text messaging allows officials to maxmize the number of people who will not only be warned in the event of an emergency, but also increase the number people who are consciously aware of their surroundings and on alert for potential problems.

For more on the story from Victoria, Australia, click here.

City Shouldn't Rely on Radio Station to Broadcast During Emergency

Last week, the Daily Egyptian newspaper of Southern Illinois, a student-run publication from Southern Illinois University, reported that the radio station WDBX did not receive the funding they needed to from the city council to proceed with purchasing an emergency generator. Jim Wall, vice chairman of the WDBX board of directors, said the station requested that the city pay half the cost of the generator, because it could be used during power outages to transmit emergency broadcasts.

While the city maintains that it has a generator to broadcast emergency information via radio station 1620 AM, Wall said that this transmitter doesn't serve citizens beyond a 3 block radius of City Hall. The council voted the request down because it does not have the funds.

Here's a great example of how unreliable radio broadcasts could be in an emergency. While a radio station in the area is willing to provide the emergency messages, they can't afford to do so without a new generator, and apparently, they can't afford to purchase one without financial assistance.

And the city claims to have a radio frequency set aside for emergency broadcasts, although the reach of that broadcasts seems suspect. Unfortunately, its the citizens that could potentially suffer. If the radio broadcasts fails or is limited in its scope, how will the students of the University and the residents of Carbondale receive emergency information, especially if the electricity goes out?

Communications Made Easy would be the perfect solution. Not only does it have several safeguards in place against a power outage, but it has the potential to reach many more residents and students than the radio station operated by the city. It's important for a city of 25,500 residents to have its own emergency communications system because of the sheer number of people who rely on the city to keep them safe in emergencies.

To read the full story from the Daily Egyptian, click here.

Communications Made Easy Receives $10,000 in Business Development Grants

Rochester, Illinois, February 19, 2009 – Communications Made EasyTM, a 4-in-1 broadcast communications service based in Rochester, Illinois, is the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Milliken Regional Entrepreneur Network (MREN) and a $5,000 Challenge Grant from the Illinois Homeland Security Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (HSIEC).

Communications Made EasyTM (CME) allows customers to send immediate, simultaneous messages via e-mail, text message, phone voice message, or Web site postings all from one central point of access. The company’s founding partners, Michelle Tjelmeland and Mark Roberts, developed the propriety software independently and launched the service in August of 2008.

“We are thrilled to receive the grant money and will use it to further develop our strategic business plans for CME,” said Tjelmeland. “These awards will allow us to expedite our marketing efforts and target specific customers who can really benefit from CME’s services.”

MREN and HSIEC award grant money to businesses with high growth potential to help with comprehensive business planning, evaluating a proposed start-up or expansion, or other accelerated support services. Through their respective grant programs, MREN and HSIEC help award recipients achieve significant milestones to take their businesses to the next level. HSIEC gives preference to companies demonstrating the pursuit of products or services that clearly meet a published request by the Department of Homeland Security.
By 2013, Homeland Security has set a goal to have at least 75 percent of all jurisdictions possess the ability to send out emergency communications within three hours of any significant event. Helping jurisdictions meet this goal is one of the original motivations for developing CME.

“We created CME to specifically meet the needs of the many rural state and local agencies that respond to emergencies and disasters,” said Roberts. “These responders either lack the strategic tools to efficiently communicate with each other, or depend on a communication system that can easily be damaged and disabled during an emergency.”

CME gives emergency management officials the ability to send news, updates, evacuation instructions, and AMBER alerts, as well as coordinate a quick and adequate response to help people affected by natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other dangerous situations.

In addition, CME is an ideal solution for university and college officials who need to establish a written emergency broadcast communications plan under the provisions in the Clery Act.

“CME provides the service they need to immediately warn students, parents, and staff of a potential danger to the campus or emergencies that require quick action,” explained Tjelmeland.

The application process for the grant awards is selective and awards are based on project viability, growth potential, public purpose, need and merit-based factors. The maximum funding available for each individual award is $5,000. Recipients are required to provide a cash match of 100 percent of the award amount.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity provides financial support to fund both the MREN grant program and the HSIEC Challenge grant. By working with entrepreneurs and businesses that demonstrate the ability to achieve growth through revenue generation and job creation, the Department promotes economic development in Illinois.

About Communications Made Easy
Communications Made EasyTM is communication tool that broadcasts any message in a matter of seconds to a mass mailing list using a proprietary 4-in-1 system. This innovative and user-friendly service makes it easy to use one access point to send messages simultaneously, via the Web, e-mail, text message, and phone. CME offers monthly messaging subscriptions, premium service add-ons that enable customers to enhance their package as needed, concierge service to ensure customer messages are dispatched immediately in times of crisis, and a reseller program to allow organizations to brand and sell the product as their own. Communications Made EasyTM is a subsidiary of The Easy Life, LLC, headquartered in Rochester, IL. Visit www.communicationsmadeeasy.com to learn more.

About MREN
MREN works with entrepreneurs and businesses (regardless of industry or stage) that demonstrate the ability to achieve growth through revenue generation and job creation and to contribute to the economic development of Illinois. MREN is a network of organizations and individuals throughout the region and state that are collaborating together and strive to become the driving force for exciting entrepreneurial activities and initiatives throughout the Central Region. For more information, visit www.millikinren.com.

About HSIEC
HSIEC delivers specialized business development assistance in homeland security to entrepreneurs and small businesses as part of the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network through a joint effort between the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Northwestern University. The Center launched in October 2005 and has made over 20 challenge grants to fund strategic business projects. For more information, visit http://www.hsiec.org.

Sirens Helpful But Inadequate in Rural Emergencies

Mountain View, California residents will soon have access to an emergency communications system very similar to the services of Communications Made Easy. The reason we point out this story is because the leaders of this city realize that technology offers huge advantages and public address system sirens are often not effective.

"If we needed to call everybody tonight we could do it," said fire department spokesman Lynn Brown, referring to the ability of the city's public safety departments to call publicly listed phone numbers. They will no longer need to rely on their sirens, which were installed during the Cold War era in case of a nuclear attack. "If you set off a siren today nobody would know what it was for," Brown said.

Sirens and other types of community-wide warning systems are great for the people that can hear them. But unfortunately, their range is limited and the expense to install them prohibits rural fire districts and townships from placing them near every home. People who live outside of the city limits often have to rely on their own awareness and TV or radio to be informed of an emergency.

That's why emergency broadcasts via voice message and text message is so valuable to those rural districts. Public safety is one of the reasons government exists, and cell phones make it possible to enhance this important function. We encourage you to embrace it!

Article quoted was written by Daniel DeBolt and appears at in the Mountain Valley Voice, http://www.mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=1121

NYPD Wants to Disable Cell Phones During Terrorist Attack

We just came across a bit of news that we here at CME find very disturbing! Apparently, the New York Police Department to Homeland Security that it wants the ability to jam cell phone networks in the event of a terrorist attack. Their motive is admirable -- they assume that the terrorists would be using cell phones to communicate with each other. However, think of ALL the other people affected by this action!!

Unfortunately we can't keep the bad guys from using the same technology that we use on a daily basis. But honestly, I think the terrorists would find another way to communicate if they knew this policy was in place. And they would know.

The last thing we want to do is shut down a valuable communication tool in the event of an emergency. When something happens, cell phones and text messages will be an important way for emergency officials from several jurisdictions to communicate. Why shut down that line and limit communication to handheld radios that operate on frequencies that vary across emergency responders? What happens when the terrorists target the radio system and that no longer works?

We already know that when something BIG happens, cell phone towers are overwhelmed anyway. Text messages are often the only way to get messages out. They use less bandwidth, so the messages go out quicker. For this reason and many others, we think police and fire departments and emergency management officials should be concentrating on how to use technology to make their response better, faster, and more effective.

For more on the NYPD story, you can read this blog from the Wired Blog Network.

What do you think? We'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Is this a good way to stop terrorists during an attack, or would you rather have the ability to communicate with your cell phone? Leave us a comment!

College Campuses Discontinuing Landline Phone Service for Residence Halls

A true sign of the times and insight into the future - many college campuses no longer provide landline phone service in their residence halls and dorm rooms. Cell phone use on campus is so prevalent that traditional phones are no longer used. Students would rather use their own cell phone or their e-mail accounts to communicate with professors, friends, and family.

According to an article published in the Kansas City Star recently, The University of Missouri-Kansas City, Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, and the University of Missouri in Columbia, have all discontinued most of their landline service. Some halls still have phones in the hallway or lobby for student and emergency use.

"Last year, UMKC opened new student housing that included landline connections. Out of 850 students with residence hall rooms, only four hooked up landlines," the article stated.

Communicating with the public by cell phone, whether voice or text message, is no longer just about convenience. It's quickly becoming the only way to reach people. And the same is true for e-mail.

So, if you are hoping to communicate an emergency broadcast message, you had better have a way to send text messages and e-mails if you want to reach a majority of your contacts. It might soon become unusual for anyone to have access to a landline anymore.


You can read the full story here

Don't Wait for the Federal Government's Text Message Solution

Some of you may have heard that the FCC is working with cell phone companies to send automatic text messages to all customers in the event of certain emergencies. This is true. In2006, Congress passed the WARN Act - Warning, Alert and Response Network. As a result, the FCC established rules and policies to allow wireless service providers to participate in this network and agree to send emergency alerts to their customers. However, according to the FCC's Consumer Facts statement on the new commercial mobile alert system (CMAS), the actual date that this network will be up and running is probably 1 - 2 years away.

When the system is actually operational it will be used to send the following alerts:

• Presidential Alerts – Alerts for all Americans related to national emergencies, such as terrorist attacks, that will preempt any other pending alerts;
• Imminent Threat Alerts – Alerts with information on emergencies, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, where life or property is at risk, the event is likely to occur, and some responsive action should be taken; and
• Child Abduction Emergency/AMBER Alerts – Alerts related to missing or endangered children due to an abduction or runaway situation.

Communications Made Easy already has all of this capability and more! Local governments can already use our system to warn or weather-related emergencies, terrorist attacks, public safety issues, and AMBER alerts. Plus, CME sends out voice messages and allows text messages up to 500 characters, whereas the the CMAS won't immediately have the capability to send voice messages, and it will only send text messages up to 90 characters.

So if you think you'd rather wait until the federal government gets this network established, you'll be waiting a while and you'll be missing out on some essential warning features. Use CME to send out all of your emergency broadcast messages now and you'll be a few steps ahead when the CMAS is ready for deployment.

Flight 1549 Crash - A Testament to the Effectiveness of Emergency E-mails

The US Airways Flight 1549 crash water landing in the Hudson River last week was a scary event, but the rescue efforts were very well coordinated. Bystanders, commercial ferry boats, and trained rescuers responded quickly and effectively to pull the passengers out of the water and ff of the wings of the sinking plane, keep them warm and dry, and bring them back to dry land.

It is a clear example of the power of technology, as several volunteers and health experts were mobilized by a single emergency e-mail. Sussex County Chapter American Red Cross volunteers were notified by an emergency e-mail to be on stand-by to open an emergency shelter for crash victims and their families. Within 15 minutes, 12 disaster services volunteers responded, ready to be deployed to help if necessary.

Reaching these volunteers, who were trained and willing to work, was an essential part of the rescue efforts. Finding a place for shelter, organizing an accountability post, and rounding up enough food, blankets and counselors is no easy task. But with the instant notification and quick response, the Red Cross was ready to help, just as everyone expected they would be. For an organization that relies on it's reputation for instant response and dependability, emergency messaging capabilites are absolutely essential.

Overloaded Cell Systems Can Still Send Texts

Although cell phone technology has come a long way since its beginning, it's still not perfect. And when thousands of people in the same area try to make cell phone calls at the same time, the system quickly becomes overloaded and crashes.

Which is definitely NOT good in emergencies.

Anytime something "big" happens, like the crash of the U.S. Airways Jet yesterday in New York, the impulse for witnesses is to call somebody. 911, media, family members, friends - anyone they can get ahold of to request help or share the breaking news. But this totally hampers rescue efforts. The people who really need to communicate to coordinate a rescue effort can't.

So what's the solution? Send a text. When cell phone towers become overloaded because of a high volume of calls, a text message is the most effective means of communication. This has been proven consistently, in many different types of situations.

In fact, those in Washington D.C. who are preparing for the influx of people this weekend and on January 20th for President-Elect Obama's inaguration, are encouraging residents, workers, and visitors to text instead of call. While cell providers will have several temporary phone towers throughout the city to help with the predicted call volume, there is no way to know for sure how the system will ultimately handle all of these calls.

This is proof of how incredibly valuable it is for cities, schools, counties, police, fire and rescue crews to have instant access to broadcast text messaging. When landlines are down and cell phone towers are overloaded by call volume, the nearly instantaneouly transmission of a text message will get out to the people who need to know the information. All the more reason to give CME a call to find out more about about our broadcast texting services!

National Amber Alert Awareness Day

One of the most important and motivating reasons for rural schools and communities to have a broadcast communications system in place is the ability to send out Amber Alerts. Getting accurate and timely information about a child abduction out to the public is critical to rescuing kids who could be in danger.

Yesterday, January 13 was National Amber Alert Awareness Day, a time to remember those families who are missing children, and to say thanks to all of the local law enforcement, state officials, and volunteers who support the Amber Alert system. We at Communications Made Easy would like to do just that. Thanks to all of you who are there to keep our children safe!

Communications Made Easy makes it simple to send out an Amber Alert, or any other emergency message regarding the safety of children and adults. And in unfortunate circumstances, it can also be extremely helpful to coordinate the search of a missing person, transmitting newly learned information or directing and instructing volunteers. It pays to sign-up for CME's services now so you can be prepared in case of such emergency.

If you're interested in learning more about Amber Alerts or promoting the program throughout your community, go to http://www.amberalert.gov/about.htm. Here you can gain access to posters, news releases, success stories, and find your state's Amber Alert contact.

Cell Technology in Rural Areas Holds Its Own

Rural communities and school districts may be located in remote areas, but that doesn't mean they lack the technology to support cell phone use:

• 99% of Americans are now living in counties in which next-generation wireless services are available.
  
• 94% of Americans are now living in counties with four or more wireless service providers.
• More than 12.5 billion text messages were sent in June 2006, up 70% from June 2005.
  Federal government statistics on wireless use indicated more than 51% of rural American households had wireless phones, compared to 54% of all America households.

(provided by the International Association for the Wireless Communication Industry)

Having access to quality cell phone technology and customer services is so important in rural areas because the distance between neighbors or from emergency responders can have a major detrimental impact during emergencies. Response times could be longer and resources may be limited, at least for a time. That's why it is so important to have an emergency broadcast system in place, one that caters to all cell phone and text message users. Without it, rural fire departments and county sheriff officers might spend valuable time driving from house to house to inform residents of a problem. However, when officials have the ability to get accurate information distributed quickly to many people, they can avoid public speculation that often leads to panic and confusion. Rural areas definitely have the technology - now they just have to embrace it!

Cell Phones Permeate U.S. Society

Communications Made Easy knows how much people depend on cell phones these days. According to the CTIA, the International Association of Telecommunications Industry, there were 262.7 million cell phone subscribers in June 2008, representing 84% of the U. S. population. Amazingly, wireless service was once projected to be a niche market appealing to a maximum of 900,000 by the year 2000. In 2008, approximately 15.8% of U.S. households are wireless-only - that is, they don't have a landline telephone.

Another important statistic - there are 296,000 e-911 emergency calls placed from cell phones each day. It's incredibly convenient and especially helpful to have immediate access to a cell phone in an emergency. It allows for quick instructions to bystanders from trained 911 operators and faster response from emergency personnel.

There's no doubt that wireless communication is going to play an increasingly important role in our society. It's the reason why so many companies are developing their mobile services and remote access. Customers are used to instant access and immediate communication, and they will appreciate, and eventually demand, that emergency messages reach them wherever they are. Just another reason why all local governments, school districts, and colleges and universities should take the steps to include cell phones and text messaging in their emergency communication plans.