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.