Let me begin this Post by clearly stating this is NOT a knock on
the wireless industry.
I spent a number of years
while I was with the City of St. Petersburg working with cellular companies and
cell tower companies configuring and locating cell towers.
When it comes to dedication to service and reliability they are
to a person totally dedicated.
Here is the problem:
In virtually every major local emergency or disaster the local cellular
system has collapsed under the weight of its call load.
One of my most vivid memories is the from the Oklahoma City
bombing. As I stood in the City IT Data Center I watched the Oklahoma City Fire
Chief begging people to please get off their cell phones so first responders
could communicate.
That story has and continues to repeat itself in almost every
localized major disaster right up to today. The cellular system fails for a
brief time under the volume of calls, texts, tweets, posts and pictures.
When a major hurricane or even a very bad storm like the No Name
Storm of a while back hits here it will be no different.
Those cell towers you see around the bay area will in all
likelihood survive all but the worst Category 4 or 5 storms, but if you look
closely at the pictures you will see many cellular antenna arrays mounted on
roof tops of tall and some not so tall buildings.
These critical links in the cellular system are only as good as
what they are bolted to and the roofs they sit on. There will undoubtedly be some
physical loss of capacity in a really big hurricane event.
The real problem with the wireless system in an emergency is not
the survivability of the system it is us.
We have all come to rely on and take for granted our cell phones
and tablets when it comes to communication. Look around. It is ever more
difficult to find someone who is not on their cell phone or tablet.
We text our kids, use locators track our kids and sometimes
spouses and it always works.
There is the occasional dropped call but almost all of time it
just simply works. Like all things that provide convenience and connectivity we
become totally dependent on them.
The Hurricane:
Chances are in a hurricane leading up to the storm the cellular
system will work reasonably well. But as the storm grows closer and people go
from concerned to panic and start calling and texting, the wireless system will
begin to slow down. At some point it may just stop working.
What's even more important is a text that would go through almost
immediately in normal circumstances may take hours in an emergency. You cannot
count on texting as a form of immediate communication.
Following the hurricane and the ensuing panic to find love ones,
secure property, get help from first responders and let family and loves out of
town know your status it is easily possible cell service will be spotty for hours if
not days.
The Tornado:
The Hurricane is the scenario that we most often plan for in
Florida, but a strong tornado which happens almost without warning can be just
as serious.
The wireless system inside the tornado zone will be severely
impacted, but outside the zone it will be functioning. Loading from calls,
messages and pictures will be a major problem causing delays, dropped calls and
no service. Relying on the cell phone to get family back together may work but
it also may not.
If your home is not affected by the tornado it is the best
rallying point.
If it is damaged, you and your family members may not be able to
get to your house. You need a place defined in advance where everyone knows to
rendezvous.
Local school, disaster shelter, large store in a shopping center
somewhere everyone can go to and get back together quickly.
Trying to set that up in real time on your cell phone may just
not work.
If your disaster plan is:
We will round up the family by texting or calling
Everyone call dad, if you can't get dad call mom
We will know where the kids are by using the locator
We have chargers in the cars
We can text message or call the grandparents up in Ohio
Probably should send some pictures after the storm.
Should get a case of water, some hot dogs and some propane for
the grill
Good plan problem solved.
Not really.
What if you can't get a call or a message to go through?
What if you haven't connected with one or more of the kids or
your spouse or significant other?
What if someone in your family is found by a first responder,
where will they be taken?
Now what?
As a backup plan check one of the Hurricane Guides and find the
shelter nearest to your home. Follow the Hurricane Guide for preperations and
add this additional step.
Take the family, get in
the car and drive by the shelter so everyone will know where it is located.
Write your child's name on a piece of paper along with the
shelter address, put it in small plastic bag and put it in a zipper
compartment in their back pack or computer bag.
That way they can tell a first responder where their family will
rendezvous.
Put that same information on a card in your wallet or purse so you
will always have it with you.
This is a simple way to establish a single point where you can
get your family back together in a disaster.
The people who run the wireless system are dedicated beyond
belief. They will risk life and limb to get the system back up and running in a
disaster. But, they cannot control how we will use it and there is the problem.
As a final thought should a disaster strike try to resist the
temptation to start texting, tweeting and sending photos up north to your
relatives, and keep the kids off their phones until things calm down a bit.
One of the best hurricane or disaster plans you can have is a
plan that does not rely on your cell phone to gather up your family and your loved
ones.
E-mail Doc at mail
to:dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me
a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to
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