How to be Prepared for Anything

I found some really cool iPhone apps for emergency preparedness at a Red Cross training session, given last weekend to volunteers in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Palo Alto as a city is more prepared than most, with a small army of volunteers, mobile response teams, and sophisticated communication and response system. 

Remember police scanners? This is even better. The 5-0 Radio app can give you a live feed from local police, fire, and other civil organizations. 

 Browse your local area, or anywhere in the country. We even have amateur radio operators. Cool!

Listen to a live radio feed.

Check out the California Road Report. You set a radius from your current location and it gives you list of road reports in the area.

The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) monitors natural disasters around the world, and they have a mobile app, World Disaster Alerts. 

If disaster strikes, you can find the location of every open Red Cross shelter, using their app Shelter View. This screen shot was taken on a relatively quiet day.

Cell phone towers and Internet routers go dead in the event of power loss, but mobile hotspots can be set up if necessary, and mobile data may be important in a crisis. So keep your phone and a solar charger nearby, just in case.