Reverse 911: Public Safety Edges Privacy

In case of an emergency agencies need to be able to contact residents.

The job of contacting residents when a possible emergency arises is hampered for government agencies by  technological advancements like mobile phones. This questions the effectiveness of agencies. Paul Suarez a Columbian reporter said in a recent article that warning for residents has become more difficult because they are using less phone lines and more are using their cell phones more often.

One example lately was a small gas leak in Battle Ground that made officials notify citizens of danger even though the affected area was not of a larger scale and should have not been notified on a large scale.

reverse 911 photo
Photo by ResoluteSupportMedia

The Clark Regional Emergency Agency started using a reverse 911 service for phone numbers that are registered in an area to be called with a warning message although not many people use landlines these days and only so many could be called using the reverse 911.

People using cellphones, smartphones, or internet lines can be called using reverse cell phone services if they are registered although most do not. John Wheeler coordinator of emergency management for CRESA says there is no sure way to reach those people through reverse cell phone services.

It seems with most people having reliable communications these days that they could be contacted more easily with reverse 911 if the service also included mobile devices in addition to land lines.

Sometimes not reaching people could be a good thing because of privacy issues that are much needed these days. Author Ayn Rand said many years ago that Civilization is progressing toward a society with out privacy,  you might  agree with that quote today.

Officials from the government have to be careful on the issues between privacy and what is best for the public. For small gas leaks like in Battle Ground, it was considered minor but could have been more of an issue and could have been threatening.

CRESA officials say that cell phones are the future of technology and will need to deliver the warnings. Although people are concerned about privacy and unwanted messages could be an issue.

Those concerns will need to be addressed but for now, it is important that residents be alerted for emergencies. If you decide to register a cellphone to get warnings, you can visit . Additional details about the Reverse 911 service can be found at .

Everyone should register a phone number to be alerted during an emergency and to be safe.

Come on, Time to Green Up Your Cell Phone Life

Green Up Your Cell Phone Life

Our modern society has placed an emphasis on giving back. Giving to those less fortunate, giving to charities and, perhaps above all, giving back to our planet. Where do you start? This is a question that often confounds people so much that they never start at all. One of the simplest ways to give back to mother earth is with your cell phone. Over 4.6 billion people worldwide have a cell (or mobile) phone gone are the days of the phonebook its all at our fingertips but most of these people aren’t aware that their phone could be the easiest way to begin their quest in saving the planet.

Recycle

We all know we should recycle but that doesn’t mean that we do it. Often, recycling isn’t convenient and, if it isn’t easy, we don’t want to do it. Many communities are taking the initiative with free recycling centers, recycling days or even recycling bins for each household. We replace our cell phones at an average of one phone every two years. What do we do with those old phones? Most times they take up room in a junk drawer or get tossed in the bin. People may forget, or never have been aware, that they can recycle those old phones. If you need a new phone, why not give your old one to your child? Kids often want, but don’t need, the newest gadget; your phone will be new to them and won’t take up valuable landfill space.

Monitor Energy Use

To leave as small a carbon footprint as possible, compare the energy use of different mobile phones when deciding on which to purchase. If you can’t bring yourself to buy a phone that uses the smallest amount of energy, either because of its style or features, take a look at the settings in the phone you do choose and try to adjust them to lower its use of energy. You often won’t have to give up functionality to better utilize the phone’s energy.

Green Applications

Different apps can help you reduce your carbon footprint, live greener or even scan products as you’re shopping to see what their environmental impact is. Other apps may help you decide on the greenest vehicles, the greenest appliances and even give you tips on how to reduce your energy consumption inside the home. Finding green apps couldn’t be simpler; log onto your app store and search ‘green’. The choices are virtually limitless.

Green Broadband

When deciding on which provider you will utilize, look for one that donates a portion of their proceeds to different charities or that seek a carbon neutral status. By partnering with a green provider, you are being about as environmentally friendly as you can get.

Written by Firespin Jay a Eco and Tech enthusiast from London also enjoys playing with fire (POI) so come say he @FirespinJay and hope to chat soon.