Secrets for Keeping Cell Phones from Sabotaging Your ENS Program

An article on http://www.kesq.com/ last week out of Yucaipa, CA highlighted the ongoing challenge of registering cell phones for emergency notification purposes.

When fire crested a hill in the Yucaipa community, evacuation efforts were said to be "chaotic" due in large part to the significant number of residents using unregistered cell phones. Fire officials resorted to door-to-door methods with little time to spare. "We feel there is a significant number of the public who has not logged their cell phones to the Early Warning Notification System..." said CalFire Chief John Hawkins.

The reporter's interviews indicated two key problems: 1) most people were unaware of the system and the need to register cell phones, and 2) some were hesitant to register for fear of receiving unwanted contact (i.e. spam).

IMPLICATIONS

According to Mediamark Research, Inc. almost one-third of households in the 18 to 24 age range have only cell phones within the home (no land line), and just over 26% of households in the 26 to 34 age range fall into this category. As these statistics and the situation in Yucaipa points out, public safety agencies need to devote time and resources to developing effective public information campaigns surrounding the registration of cell phones.

While the typical PSA on a local radio station may help to some degree, it is likely more effort and greater creativity are required for success. What should you do? Here are just a few ideas for getting the word out:

Brand the Effort
A strong label tied to the cell phone registration campaign (and the ENS program for that matter) will help generate buzz and create a "hook" for consumers. Create a "brand name" for the initiative.

Use Multimedia
Nothing tells a story better than video, and developing a short visual highlight is easy to do with today's technology. Create a video telling your ENS story and providing a call to action. Then post it to your agency's website, or link to http://www.youtube.com/ (make sure you provide the website address in any PSAs or other advertisements).

Get Help from Other Public Agencies
Many public-facing agencies such as the DMV, libraries, and local tax offices provide excellent access points to citizens. Where feasible, solicit help from these organizations in the form of strategically-placed signs and information sheets (be sure and minimize any additional work required by these agencies' employees).

Get Help from Local Businesses
Signs and information sheets in banks and retail stores can be effective (consider targeting stores appealing to the 18-34 demographic). Definitely focus on shops and kiosks where cell phones are sold. A registration table set up in a local supermarket can provide both a place and an "event" for media interviews. You'll create community visibility, and the grocer will love the exposure (by the way, for catching people's attention, nothing beats a fire truck or police cruiser in the parking lot with its lights flashing).

Participate in Local Civic Organizations
Every town typically has a variety of civic organizations, clubs, or churches. Most would be happy to pass along public safety information in meetings, assemblies, or weekly bulletins/newsletters if asked (you might even recruit a member to show the video you created).

Be Clear on Privacy
For any method deployed, be sure your agency's privacy policy is clearly articulated. Reassuring citizens their personal information is confidential and safe will help ease fears about providing private data.


Methods for spreading the word regarding ENS programs and cell phone registrations are limited only by the imagination. While there is no "silver bullet" for getting the word out, a comprehensive public information campaign is critical for any community managing an alerts and warnings program.

Have any stellar ideas or success stories from your community? We'd love to hear from you.

Best,

-Lorin