March is American Red Cross Month. Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with some of the disaster preparedness tools the Red Cross offers, including a variety of mobile applications (apps). The free apps provide alerts for weather hazards, first aid, shelter, pet first aid, and more.
As the winter weather hazards come to an end, you can use the weather-related apps to prepare for spring hazards, such as tornadoes and hurricanes.
Features of the tornado app include:
- An audible siren that automatically sounds when the app is closed if a tornado warning is issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA);
- A notification when the warning expires; and
- Instructions on what to do if cell phone towers and other communication are down.
Features of the hurricane app include: - One touch “I’m safe” messaging that users can share with family members via social media outlets;
- Location-based NOAA weather alerts; and
- Checklists for creating a family emergency plan.
The Red Cross also offers a mobile application that engages children in disaster preparedness in a fun, exciting way. The “Monster Guard” app uses an interactive game to show kids how to stay safe when responding to emergencies at home.
Take action today! Download these apps to your tablet or smartphone using the Apple App Store or Android Google Play. Doing so counts as one of the ten ways to participate in America’s PrepareAthon!, so be sure to register your actions on the campaign website.