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In preparation for the height of what could be a extremely active hurricane season, the American Red Cross has unveiled new and updated technology to assist households stay safe and reconnect during a disaster.
“Every day, millions of individuals use the web to connect with friends and loved ones, and the Red Cross is using the same technology to help individuals prepare for, stay safe and connect with loved ones during an emergency,” stated Joe Becker, senior vice president for Red Cross Disaster Services. “And we’re really excited to have both an improved Safe and Nicely site plus a real-time way to find shelter locations this hurricane season.”
Safe and Nicely is really a secure and easy-to-use online tool that allows folks inside a disaster-affected area to list themselves as “safe and well” and for loved ones to search for these messages. Launched in 2006, the redesigned site now allows people to customize messages for loved ones and update their Facebook and Twitter statuses right from the site. In addition, a new mobile version with all the site will make it easy for folks to register or search from a smart phone.
Linking Safe and Nicely to Facebook and Twitter is an important step for the site and those who use it. In a recent Red Cross online survey, nearly half of all respondents stated they would use social media sites to let their loved ones know they are safe in an emergency. Facebook was the most popular choice, named by 86 percent of those who would use social media to reassure their loved ones. Now, the Red Cross makes it easy to register on Safe and Well, and in the same time, participate in social media.
There are several ways to register on or search the Safe and Nicely site. From a computer, visit http://www.redcross.org and click on the “List Yourself or Search Registrants” link below “How to Get Assist.” From a smart phone, visit http://www.redcross.org/safeandwell and click on the “List Yourself as Safe and Well” or “Search for friends and family” link. From any phone, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and one of our operators can help you register.
The Red Cross “Find Shelter” tool pulls information from the National Shelter System and allows men and ladies to view a Google map of open Red Cross shelter locations and search for shelters closest to their location.
To access shelter information, visit http://www.redcross.org and click on the “Find Shelter” link. Shelters that are currently open will be displayed on the map or inside the search results. The National Shelter System is owned and operated by the Red Cross and used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state and nearby governments, as well as other community agencies to track and report shelter information.
Both Safe and Nicely and the National Shelter System are two important tools the Red Cross uses year round to help the public during emergencies. In an average year, the Red Cross spends $450 million responding to and preparing for a whole lot more than 70,000 disasters around the nation.
*Online Survey of 1,058 respondents representative of the