Last year, Microsoft launched HelpBridge, an app designed to help people connect with one another, and with volunteer and donation opportunities, during any type of disaster. HelpBridge is a free cross-platform mobile application (Windows, Android, iOS) that provides you with the ability to send status updates to pre-selected contact groups via email, SMS, Twitter and Facebook. Through your phone’s GPS capabilities you can also choose whether to share your location in your alerts. Friday, Microsoft released an update to the app including a new easy to navigate User Interface and push notifications. In times of disaster, Skype on Windows or Windows Phone can also help you stay connected via the internet or a mobile device when phone services are down.
I have already shared about the Hurricane Preparedness initiative in the NY area here. It seems like there are violent weather systems occurring more and more often these days, we all see it on Facebook as it is affecting, if not people we know, friends of people we know. In the olden days this would only have been stories we were reading about in newspapers, now it is hitting closer to home in our shrinking world. On top of that, in the safest country in the world, I have lived through 9/11, the NYC blackout of 2003 (my son was 2 months old), and Hurricane Sandy.
Being prepared is key. One of the plans we have set in place, is that my husband and I will not both be off of the same island that my son is on. I will not do my weekly New Jersey grocery shopping unless my spouse is able to get to my son in case of emergency without going through a tunnel or over a bridge. I do not often share about this, but these are the concerns I live with daily, and I admit before I had a child I did not give it an extra thought.
Even so, we still do not have a meeting plan set up. That is the next step! And I often joke about the Zombie Apocalypse, but it is only half in jest, I do have many supplies in my home, just in case, after all, the island of Manhattan produces no food, and after 9/11, no trucks were allowed onto the island for a few days.
For the sake of disclosure, I am a Windows Ambassador and am sharing their information below, I am hoping we are all as prepared as we can be and hope we never have to use these preparedness plans!
Plan Ahead
Develop a family emergency plan: One of the best ways you can weather the storm is to prepare for it. Microsoft Excel offers several free templates, including emergency contact lists and family emergency plans. Remember to plan for senior citizens and pets in your household, and communicate this plan to family and friends so they are aware. Your plan can be accessed during a disaster by saving it to a cloud service, like OneDrive on Windows or Windows Phone, so you can access your documents on any computer or smartphone – even when Internet access is not available.
The United States Department of Homeland Security also offers several resources and games to make disaster preparedness planning easy for the whole family, including Facebook application, bReddi, which helps you and your family prepare for emergencies. The American Red Cross and FEMA provide extensive preparation guidance and status information for various types of natural disasters, including hurricanes.
Monitor your health information: Quick and reliable access to your health and medical information is important to ensure the appropriate medical aid during a natural disaster. HealthVault on Windows and Windows Phone helps you gather, store, use, and share important health information for you and your family by creating an emergency profile. Here you can manage and track your family’s medical contacts, allergies, medication, immunizations, and health conditions. Your medical providers can securely log in and see a full picture of your history and medical needs.
Download the HelpBridge app on here and visit Microsoft Disaster Response site to learn more about the Microsoft Disaster Response program.
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