Tech Forum: Emergency Information

Available Technology:

The technology that is used to facilitate gathering and sharing information included:

1. Smart Phones: These phones allow access to the internet and a wide variety of applications that provide traffic, weather and emergency information.
2. Flip phones are limited to accepting text messages; they do not support applications (apps) that provide emergency data.
3. Computers – fully functional access to applications
4. Tablets – fully functional access to applications
5. Telephone- land lines. Accept only voice messages—CodeRED.

In all cases, it was stressed that the operating system, be it IOS, Android, Windows or an Apple OS, should be kept up to date.  Out of date systems will often result in failures in applications.

Available Sources: 

The discussion focused on the web sites and apps that provide weather, traffic and emergency information.

Web Sites:

1. Local TV station web sites: Live5News.com, abcnews.com, etc.
2. Weather.NOAA.gov
3. Tidelinesblog.com
4. SCDOT.gov   (Twitter hash tag= SCDOTpress)
5. Waze.com
6. TotalTraffic.com (for accident reports)
7. Charles County Sheriff’s Office: http://www.ccso.charlestoncounty.gov
8. TownofSeabrookIsland.org (Twittter hash tag =@SeabrookIsland87)
9. Town of Seabrook Island toll free number: 1 800-764-8404
10. CodeRED (Town of Seabrook Island)
11. SIPOA Email-blast  and website: SIPOA.org

Apps:  (Available for both IOS and Android unless indicated):

1. Live5Weather
2. Waze(requires active GPS, collects and distributes public comments)
3. Hurricainehub
4. iHeartradio
5. Total Traffic
6. Scanner apps that mimic a radio canner – “5-0 Police Radio Scanner” for iPhone and iPad.” and “Scanner Radio” for Android for example. These apps transmit all the ‘chatter’ on the ‘air’; emergency information will be mixed with all other radio traffic.(Search the web for Police Scanner Apps.)
7. Twitter – especially the Charleston County Sheriff office, CHSWS, @FreshfiledsVillage, National Weather Service
8. Facebook was mentioned, but discussion indicated that Facebook information is generally not immediate.
9. RSS feeds. A RSS feed Reader app (free) can be installed to facilitate “push” notification of emergency data from an app—like Tidelines where a notice is sent to you immediately. E-mail notices from Tidelines are generally received as  “pull” messages—the user has to go and get – or pull- the e-mail.

Other sources:

SIPOA receives notices from: (Examples)

1. Seabrook Utility Commission (in case of drinking water hazards and flood water overflows)
2. Fire Department of( road hazards on Seabrook that may interfere with rescue/emergency services; requests to stay off the roads unless travel is essential)
3. Berkeley Electric of (dangerous electrical conditions—water in transformers).

These notices are posted to Tidelines and are sent to subscribers to the SIPOAE-mail blast.

Submitted by Lynn Kennedy