Wireless Provider Suggests Key Readiness Steps and Offers Phone Tips For Emergencies
With winter weather conditions likely to produce one of the coldest months on record since 1985 in the Southeast, Cellular South, the nation's largest privately owned wireless communications provider, is offering consumers and businesses some important planning and emergency communications reminders to use before, during and after any severe winter weather event.
Before the Storm
- Charge your primary wireless phone battery and secure back-up batteries and a vehicle charger in a dry, accessible location.
- Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers for police, fire, rescue agencies, power companies, insurance providers and family, friends and co-workers and program them into your mobile phone address book.
- Give your emergency contact information to those who may need it, including neighbors, family and friends.
- Track weather and storm-related information through the mobile web on your wireless phone.
- Prepare an emergency supply kit with items, including a flashlight and battery-powered radio with extra batteries, canned and non-perishable food, bottled water, toiletry items, pet food and supplies, medicine and prescription medication and copies of important family papers and documents.
During and After the Storm
- Stay home and do not drive in snowy or icy road conditions.
- Keep clear of downed power lines. Even if electricity appears to be off, leave the lines alone. Do not attempt to move them, but instead contact your local electric utility to report the downed power lines, utility poles or tree limbs.
- Operate emergency generators outdoors and avoid using a generator inside your home or garage.
- Turn off all home appliances to prevent a surge once commercial power is restored.
- Exercise caution when using alternative heating sources. Avoid using a stove for heating as it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Allow water to drip from faucets during extremely cold weather so water pressure can be relieved and to prevent pipes from bursting in your home. If you are concerned that your pipes are frozen and may have burst, turn off your water supply at the main shut off valve and contact a plumber.
- Place voice calls only when necessary. Limit your personal calls so that capacity is available for 9-1-1 calls and other emergency responders.
- When possible, send text messages instead of placing voice calls. Text messages require less network capacity and are more likely than voice calls to reach their destination during periods of network congestion.
- Charge your mobile phone in your car during commercial power outages. If a car charger is unavailable, buy an AC adapter for your vehicle so you can use your wall charger.
- Turn off your Bluetooth, data connections, such as auto sync for PDA and smartphone users, turn backlight down to the minimum levels to conserve battery life. When the batter is extremely low, turn phone off unless in use.
- Use the camera on your wireless device to document damage to your personal property, home or business and use picture and video messaging to send them to insurance agents or other contacts.
For more information about emergency planning and communication tips, visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency at www.msema.org/preparation/winter.html. For the latest weather information and forecast, visit the National Weather Service at www.srh.noaa.gov and click on your area.
About Cellular South
Cellular South is a diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The nation's largest privately owned wireless communications provider accomplishes this goal by optimizing customers' app experience through Discover Apps, providing the most reliable and advanced high-speed nationwide wireless voice and data network, offering industry-leading family and unlimited flat rate voice, text and mobile web plans, and through its online and in-store Discover Centers, which give customers easy, simple and convenient tools, tips, advice and information on how to get the most out of their mobile phone. For more information about Cellular South and its products and services, visit www.cellularsouth.com.
Contacts:
Cellular South
Dave Miller, 601-974-7725
dnmiller@cellularsouth.com