Safe America President & CEO Len Pagano said the Foundation forecasts that more than 800,000 Americans will participate in some form of ‘drill’ this month – with more than 10 First Spouses helping lead the effort including:
Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe
Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter
Idaho First Lady Lori Otter
Iowa First Lady Mari Culver
Kentucky First Lady Jan Beshear
New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie
Puerto Rico First Lady Luce Vela
Rhode Island First Lady Suzanne Carcieri
Washington State First Gentleman Mike Gregoire
West Virginia First Lady Gayle Manchin
States where drills are occurring include: Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas,
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington State,
West Virginia and Wisconsin
At a meeting held in New York, First Lady Gayle Manchin – Honorary National Chairperson – said ‘getting the country better prepared at a grassroots level is a significant national goal worthy of everyone’s attention.” Mrs. Manchin introduced New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie, noting that “this is a program that doesn’t know ‘D’ or ‘R’ – it’s a program for all Americans.”
As part of the 2010 ‘9/11 Drill Down for Safety,’ Safe America has also launched a new communications/education campaign under the title ‘Text First. Talk Second.™’ Through a series of TV and radio promotions (at www.safeamericaprepared.org), the Foundation encourages the public to rely on texting, not on placing cell phone calls, to verify that their relatives are safe when an emergency situation arises.
The educational campaign was based on research from University of Missouri Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Robert Duncan - a member of Safe America’s volunteer advisory task force – who estimates that a person who texts has an 800-to-1 better odds of getting a message through in an emergency than by depending on voice communications.
This is because a message “IMOK” requires only four bytes of information to convey using the standard SMS protocols. This information can be transmitted over 800 times by text – in no more space than it would take to place a single 60-second phone call, Dr. Duncan observed.
“Both the recent earthquake in Haiti and our experience during Katrina and 9/11 point out that an alternate form of communication can be the only way to communicate in a post-emergency situation,” said Safe America CEO Len Pagano. “Text can usually get through while those depending on voice may face inherent delays in securing a viable voice connection – especially if the network system is being overloaded with demand.”
Pagano added that an educational/communications’ campaign – “Text First. Talk Second.™ - has a goal of helping Americans embrace the ‘language’ of texting as the default in emergencies versus depending on voice communications. “We now have the research to back up the claim that, in emergencies, when voice communications are compromised, text messages may still get through or be held in the queue for delivery,” he noted. “We’ll work to make every American aware of this – and hope by 9/11/11, we’ll have millions practicing text safety drills.”
The ‘9/11 Drill Down for Safety’ program – sponsored by the Motorola and UPS Foundations along with support from both Verizon, Digicel and CNA Insurance – is a partnership with over 10 national groups, including: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; the National Emergency Managers Association (NEMA); the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM); the National PTA; the Medical Reserve Corps; the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC); the National Association of EMTs (NAEMT); the National Association of State EMS Officers (NASEMSO); the American Logistic Aid Network (ALAN) and the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA).
The Program has also become a focal point in West Virginia, where the Business Volunteer Council and the State are producing a ‘texting drill event’ during the West Virginia – Marshall football game on September 10 in Huntington, West Virginia.
‘9/11 Drill Down for Safety’ is in its second year. It was created by Safe America in 2009 as a means of encouraging more ‘everyday Americans’ to be able to handle their own safety after a disaster. In 2009, over 400,000 people – from families, governments, businesses, public institutions and non government organizations – drilled at over 120 sites nationwide demonstrating preparedness through evacuation drills, text emergency alerts, emergency preparedness kit creation, etc. Already in 2010 and just prior to the beginning of September’s National Preparedness Month, more than 600,000 Americans from over 22 states coast-to-coast are now expected to participate in activities – including First Spouses in more than 10 states!
About Safe America Foundation
The Safe America Foundation is a Marietta, Georgia based 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to addressing emerging health and safety issues. Founded in 1994, the foundation develops educational programs in partnership with the academic, corporate, public and non-profit sectors. Please join Safe America as we March to One Million, the Foundation’s goal to have one million people in America participate in drills by 9/11/2011. For more information on Drill Down for Safety and to pledge to drill, please visit www.safeamericaprepared.org or call (770) 973-7233.
