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"The stuff was on the side of the car swirling around," remembered a proud publicist for U.S. Cellular. "It was later at night and nobody was around... She didn't know the number of the station, so she called her home..."

That was when U.S. Cellular was trying to tout the advantages of a cell phone in your car -- but it makes an even more important point. Real life is unpredictable. ("I don't know if she would've gotten hurt if she didn't have a cell phone, " the publicist explained, "but she would've gotten wet!") Cell phones can be useful in emergencies -- but they're most useful in situations which are totally unpredictable.

In fact, even in an emergency, remember to use cell phones wisely -- and know when you shouldn't use a cell phone. In the same interview, the spokesperson also told me the story of a woman who driven into a ravine, and placed an emergency call to 911 saying "I'm in my car and it's sinking." He argued that these stories "make you thankful" for your cell phone. But my first thought was that if my car were actually sinking into a ravine, I wouldn't be stopping to make a phone call! I also remember when I interviewed a spokesperson for Verizon Wireless after a 6.8 earthquake had hit Seattle. Cell phones performed pretty well, but the spokesperson admit that "You simply can't build a network where you can have enough capacity that in a crisis, every call will go through the first time." In fact, it turns out that the standard advice for earthquakes is not to place calls unless they're absolutely necessary -- to free up the lines for those who really need them.

Parents love the ideas of tracking their children with cell phones -- but the teachers don't. Some schools are banning cell phones for children, and advising parents to track their children the old-fashioned way -- by calling the principal's office. But last month, MSNBC reported that "family locator" plans are available from Sprint, Verizon Wireless and Alltel for $9.99 a month (or $120 a year). Verizon's "Chaperone 2.0" service will even send parents a text message if the child strays from a pre-defined geographical area. And if your child's school opposes cell phones, you can always track your kids using another GPS-enabled devices.

Cell phones can be useful in emergencies -- one company is even selling a cell phone strap shaped like an IV for blood transfusions (which at least identifies your actual blood type). But it's important to use some common sense. (Remember that your child could still leave the cell phone in their jacket -- and then leaves that jacket behind!) One co-worker even claimed that they'd heard a story about a cell phone company that created a one-touch button to dial 911. Within a few weeks, they'd been asked to discontinue the button -- because 911 responders complained that people kept pressing the button by accident! Now I think about that story whenever I'm creating speed-dial shortcuts for emergency phone numbers.

Am I going to try to call my mom -- and then call the fire department by mistake?

Mobile phones were originally sold as luxury items, and productivity tools for the highest-level executives. As they trickled-down to the average consumer, they were often purchased for the safety benefits they offer. The first such benefit was the venerable case of the disabled car on the side of the road. But cellphones can assist us in all kinds of problems, emergencies, and even disasters.

Some of the reasons that cellphones are so beneficial to augmenting our safety are:

·         It’s very personal. You always have it with you, so it is ready to connect you if you should fall into distress. Ex: Roadside emergencies, potential muggings.

·         The cellphone, unlike the fixed line, offers multiple channels of communication. Voice calls, data connections (e-mail), and most importantly SMS. In a crisis, you can expect the volume of calls to spike, and networks to be clogged. SMS, at only 160 Bytes per message, can often slip through the congestion. During the recent Hurricane Ike, Texans made ample use of SMS as their only way of connecting somewhat reliably.

·         Diversity: adding a cellphone to your home means that you have a second channel to use in case of emergency. Often, during crises, one network will go down, or be congested. Having access to two networks increases your chance of connecting.

·         Speaking of diversity, cellphones also have the advantage of carrier diversity in an emergency. That is, if you are an AT&T home phone customer, and the AT&T network goes down, you’re out of luck. But if you’re an AT&T wireless customer, and their cellular network goes down, your phone could also connect to T-Mobile’s network, for example. You will only be allowed to call 911, but that’s fairly useful in a jam. The same argument goes for coverage. If you drove off a rural road, are injured, and your AT&T signal doesn’t reach, you may be able to get 911help over a roaming network.

·         The fixed phone system and the cellular system have generators and battery backups to keep them live in the event of power failure. Your cellphone also has a battery. This means that you’re not reliant on the regular grid. But bear in mind this will only last up to one day, so after that, you’ll have to go “Road Warrior” if you want to get to the Thunderdome.

·         In the event of a very local emergency, like a building collapse, a fault-line quake, fire, terrorist attack, etc, the landlines may be severed, but the cellular will easily connect you to base stations outside the trouble area, and onward.

·         A number of back-country hikers use a cellphone as a security measure when in parks or wildlife areas. This gets mixed responses from Rangers, who are happy to have saved people, but will also note that people are taking bigger risks and counting on their cellphone. This means both more dangerous behavior, and more work for Rangers.

One golden rule I recommend is that people don’t assume increased risk and depend on their cellphone to bail them out. The reason is that, while very useful, the phone IS unreliable. You can suffer from poor coverage, no LBS service with E911, dead battery, or even something as simple as the fact that apps like Google Maps work great with a GPS-cellphone, but require a data connection. No data, no Google Maps. The cellphone never was, and still isn’t, a device designed to support back-country travel. People, if you need orienteering tools for your hiking, get a real GPS, or a compass and topo maps. Don’t risk your life on “Can you hear me now?”, because if you have to ask…

Some other best practices to get the most out of your phone, should you find yourself in need:

·         ICE – some people, and many e-mail chain letters, sing the praises of programming an ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact into your cellphone. If you do so, someone finding you unconscious could use your phone to look up your next-of-kin, and tell them about your situation. My issues with this are: i) that phones are varied, and I don’t expect First Responders to know how to work them all; ii) that I would rather first responders busy themselves with the task of saving my life, as opposed to calling my wife; iii) that I lock my smartphone so they can’t use it anyway. Whatever, no harm in doing this.

·         Now, instead of assuming you’re unconscious with the ICE advice, how about programming numbers that are useful when you ARE conscious: local police, local fire, highway patrol, traffic info, Roadside Assistance programs, tow truck companies, national guard, CNN. Any of these could be useful in a pinch. Do yourself a favor and put these in your speed dial.

·         Keep a spare phone charger in your car. If you get stuck, you can tap into your car’s battery to keep the connection alive.

·         Many phones now are E911 LBS-enabled, which means that when you call 911, it automatically sends your location to the emergency switchboard (called a PSAP). Unfortunately, not all phones can do this, and not all police departments can access the location info. It behooves you to call your carrier and see if your phone is E911-ready, and then to call your local police (not by dialing 911) and ask them if their PSAP is able to use the E911 info. Always bear in mind that you can’t rely on this feature, and that it requires a good voice connection AND a good data connection AND a good view of the sky to work well.

·         Feel free to chat at a gas filling station. The danger in this is a myth. Nobody, not once, not ever, has ever caused an explosion at a gas station by talking on the cellphone. Although there may be some infinitesimal risk (there IS flammable gas nearby), that risk is smaller than the similar risk of talking on the phone while you’re driving. You have an astronomically higher risk of dying from the flu this year. So chat and fill away, but don’t forget to use disinfectant on that dirty, germy gas nozzle.

·         Use a headset or hands-free while driving to keep yourself a little safer, and compliant with some laws. But don’t wait until you’re in motion to pair your Bluetooth or plug in your headset. Although the laws don’t agree with me, it would be much safer to just hold your phone to your head than to fumble with the plugs!

·         Seems obvious, but avoid e-mail, SMS, or interacting with the mobile Internet while driving. This can cause bodily harm.

If you’re parents trying to keep your kids safe, you can subscribe to one of the few “kid tracker” services that are offered by certain carriers, like “Family Locator” from Sprint. This service can display a map in a browser that marks your kid’s location with an X. It can also send you periodic updates as to where your kids are. Sprint’s Family Locator can also show you “breadcrumbs” which are a trail of where your kid has been.

Another LBS parenting service that is coming soon is “Geofencing”, where the parent receives an alert when the kid crosses pre-determined line on a map. Draw a geofence around the school, and get a message when junior leaves that area. Is it invasive supervision, or just using the modern tools of parenting? You’ll have to decide that, but the tools are here.

This last service is one that I have a bias towards, since I’m on the Board of Advisors, but Aegis Mobility has an upcoming service that will re-route phone calls to voicemail when the phone owner is sensed to be in a car. A parent or employer can enable the service on a phone line, and thus assure that their charges are not driving and talking at the same time. This service makes use of GPS, sensors, presence, and intelligent algorithms to detect what the user is doing, and make them safer. If the user MUST make a call, there is an over-ride, which will allow calls while moving, but will also send a notification to the parent.

Another company called Amika Mobile is working with government to enable a system that could send bulk SMS messages to ANY phone in a geographic area in the event of some catastrophe, or approaching threat (ex: tornado). These systems would be in addition to any radio and TV Emergency Broadcast System announcements. More diverse communication channels means the message gets through better.

For child abduction cases, the AMBER Alert system tries to get many eyes immediately on the task of finding the lost child. The AMBER organization allows individuals to subscribe to receive regional AMBER alerts via SMS. This may not help the individual user, but together, we might save a child. It’s easy to sign up at https://www.wirelessamberalerts.org

Yes, cellphones have done a lot to improve our personal and group safety. The devices save lives, assist those in need, and can help us out of a variety of simple jams. But the key take away is to learn not to rely too much on the phone. Plan your safety with the assumption that your phone won’t work, then if it does it will be a bonus. Remember that in a true disaster, all infrastructure technology may fail, and you and those around you will have to fend for yourselves. Stock supplies (mainly potable water), train in first-aid, learn fire, flood, tornado, or earthquake preparedness, and have an emergency plan that you and your family know and practice.

Though it may not occur to most people, parents of children who have a hearing or speech disability can gain a significant benefit from mobile phone use. The vast majority of mobile phones support SMS messaging, and ring or alert notification is available in "vibrate" mode.

A mobile phone has become a truly "inclusive" and indispensable device for personal security and safety.

It's also an international phenomenon, see the comments in this article on BBC News, where the benefits have been enjoyed for many years. Mobile devices specifically designed to cater to the needs of people with disabilities will become a high growth market niche within the saturated mainstream mobile communications industry.

Mobile phone is something that people carry with them day in and day out. If used properly mobile phones can be a good medium to ensure one's safety. GPS function on a mobile phone will let your dear ones know about your location. Also location based services on mobile phones will help you in giving information about nearest Police Station, Hospital, Coast guard. If somebody meets with a mishap on a deserted road in the night, location based services would help him in finding nearest location where he can get assistance.

If your phone has a GPS feature to let other know about your location then travelling with such mobile phone is extremely safe as you would never be virtually alone. Also there are live update services like Twitter, which are also mobile enabled. Twitter lets your friends know what you are doing instantly the moment you update your status. Having Twitter enabled on your mobile phone will help you in keeping in touch with your friends. For example, few months back a guy has wrongly accused and put into a prison in some Middle Eastern country, Twitter helped him in sending out help messages to friends. When you are travelling alone or meet with an accident or somebody is robbing you/your house, you can immediately send a message to Twitter about your situation and it will be displayed to all the people who are following you on Twitter. Though Twitter is a social connectivity service, if used properly, it can be of great help.

Emergency Services for parents:

Nowadays with children carrying mobile phones, it is pretty easy for parent to track them. Use of GPS based mobile phone tracking parents can come to know about the location of their kids. If kids are going to an outing or some camping parents can educate children on how to enable location based services on their mobile phones and use them at the time of emergency. Having a child help line number as one of the hotkey will help parents in taking care of their children during the time of emergency.

Activities to avoid while suing mobile phones:

Driving vehicles while using mobile phones is a strict no no for all the people. Other things that can be avoided are,

· Crossing roads while talking on the phone

· Do not your mobile phone is hand while walking on road, somebody might snatch your phone

One more good idea to implement is that, when you are traveling by say Taxi to some deserted place and the Taxi guy seems to be a shady character then, along with your GPS functions, you can just have a mock conversation with someone on the phone or keep on calling people so that they are aware of your location and the taxi guy also backs off as he has heard you talking to people.

If all these things are followed backed by some common sense, mobile phones would certainly make our life sage and easy.

There are two main types of emergency one can consider when thinking of using a mobile phone for emergency assistance:

1.  emergencies involving being lost

Unfortunately, there is one signficant myth about cellphones that must be dispelled:  in an emergency, despite your coverage, your phone may not be in a location that provides you with a signal.  Therefore, the most important way to use a cellphone is to be aware of potential emergency situations, and use the cellphone as a means of letting people know that you are headed into the 'great unknown'.  For example, if you are going to hike on a trail in a huge national park, call someone before you head out to let them know where you are, and when you should be back.  This way, if you happen to get lost or injured on the trail and your cellphone will not get signal, at least someone knows where you are and can expedite help to your approximate location -- since they also know when you should have been back.  

 The GPS signal on a phone is great, if the conditions for using that signal are met.  Depending on your phone, you may get a true GPS satellite tracking ability even without cell signal.  This is ideal for conditions where you are lost in the woods, because you can get a bearing back to the last place you had signal, and then use the cell to call from there.  GPS doesn't do you much good if you're trapped under a beam in your own basement without signal, though, which leads the discussion to the other type of emergency.

2.  emergencies involving an immediate threat  

In the situation of being  threatened in some way, anything from being trapped under a beam to some kind of assault, the cellphone is a useful emergency tool -- again, provided you can safely get signal.  Cellphones become increasingly useful in getting multiple collaborating reports of traffic accidents or other public emergencies.  I highly recommend adding an ICE "In Case of Emergency" number/contact in your contacts list, so that if you should become incapacitated in some way, and someone happens upon your location and/or your cellphone, they can use the ICE number to get in touch with someone who knows you personally. 

Features to look for

I have heard several stories of people using the "hold 9 for 911" feature to get a call out when they were unable to actually dial the entire number for some reason, so I recommend that feature.  I also recommend turning off phone beeps/etc so you can call out silently if necessary.  All of these things will support getting help in an emergency, but they will not substitute for knowing generally how to react in emergency situations.  My best advice in general would be to have your cellphone charged when heading out, and be able to operate it without having to think about what you're doing.  I prefer a simpler cellphone with controls that "just work", versus something cool-looking that may not do exactly what it's supposed to 100% of the time. I don't recommend smartphones for risky situations for that reasn -- they just require too much concentration to operate.

There are many things that are possible with cell phone technology, but the question becomes how we use that technology.  Though something is possible should we employ it?  Under what circumstances? For whom and by who?

Safety is a big issue, it raises issues of privacy and the greater good. Given the ability to track cell phone gps, should we be aggregating that data to view and track traffic flow?  Sould we use it to shape or modify traffic patterns during heavy flow? If it's possible to identify all the drivers heading towards an accident on the highway by their GPS signal, should we aggregate that data and text them to alert them of the problem ahead and to be cautious, or tell them to get off the highway at the next exit to avoid the traffic ahead?  This could have the potential downside of all the drivers simultaneously checking their cell phones and distracting them simultaneously from their driving. This could be overcome through layering the texts; e.g. people within 1mi of the accident first then in a minute texts those at 1mi again, as a new set of drivers would be that much closer to the accident.  Seems like ththese would serve the greater good, but would people want to have their GPS information being tracked even if it could prove convenient and safer for them.

A survey by the American Management Association revealed that some employers are using GPS technolgy to track their employees.  It showed that, though the rates were low, 3% were using GPS to track company telephones, and 8% used it to track company vehicles.

Parents can use the gps to track their children.  Even if this enabled, should they monitor this on a regular basis or do we use this only in emergencies?  As a parent of a 2 year old, I'd love to have a tracker on my son whenever we're in public "just in case", but this is different than tracking a 16 year old to see whether he's at Jimmies house like he said.  It then becomes a matter of trust and teaching responsibility. 

Beyond the GPS capability children's cell phones, they can be especially useful in connecting with a child to let them know someone else will be picking them up or if you're going to be late, but also in case of emergencies.  If the child is unable to answer information, then the phone can be a valuable tool for responders to get information about the child connect with the parents.

Given the ability to do a growing number of things via mobile phones, it is possible to provide yourself with an enourmous amount of distractions while driving.  There is obviously a scale as to how dangerous an activity is, with music being on one end of the scale, and playing a game or reading on a mobile device on the other end.  To eliminatethe risk of using a mobile device, ideally you would not use one at all while driving.  Aside from abistnence, minimize risk by talking only briefly, and in low traffic conditions, and with a hands free device.  Avoid text messaging while driving, and read messages sparingly.

Mobile phones and devices can be useful tools, and the data they provide can be useful in helping manage traffic and avoid traffic jams.  However, the use of this data for these purposes is still in the future and frought with privacy issues.  On an individual level, using cell phones to stay in touch with children or employees can be invaluable.  Using this same device to track them can have an impact on trust and the relationship.  With  advances in technology today, the question isn't so much "Can we?" but has become "Should we?"

Mobile phones have much to offer parents of children of all ages.  The calling, texting, GPS and cameras give parents a variety of tools to stay in touch with their kids and keep them safe.

There is the obvious and inital abilities cell phones were designed for, calling.  This allows parents to let kids know that they'll be late being picked up or for kids to ask permission to go to a friends house after school.  Beyond this though, it could allow first responders to contact parents of the child is unable  to give information about who they are. Programming a childs cell phone address book with the acronym ICE, meaning "in case of emergency" allows a responder to call that number and connect with a responsible party immediately. 

Text messaging allows children and parents another way to communicate which is less intrusive than calling, and can be received or sent while at school or in meetings.  It also allow schools to communicate immediately to all parents and students in case of cancellations or school emergencies.  It is already in use by some states to inform subscribers of citizen alerts, and could be easily applied for use in schools.

GPS or Global Positioning Technology is another tool in the cell phone tool box.  Various commercial products allow a parent the ability to track a child's location on a map using GPS.  Whether a parent tracks a child during their day to ensure they are where they say they are  or whether its used in emergency circumstances only is a choice only the parent can make, but can be loaded with privacy and trust issues. 

A cell phone camera could be a life saver should a child go missing in a public place.  A parent can take a picture before a public outing to the beach, amusement park or the mall.  Should the child go missing during the trip, they have a current picture of the child to show responders, but more than that, it has the actual clothing the child is wearing. No more guessing whether they had the blue or red jacket on, the picture will provide them all of the information they need as well as a image to distribute to searchers. 

There are a variety of tool which cell phones provide parents to keep their kids safe and connected. Whether we agree wether parents should track their kids during their day or whether it speaks to trust and responsibiltiy is aside from the value of being able to get that location in an emergency.  Cell phones allow parents to stay connected to their kids on a daily basis, but can also allow caregivers, schools and first responders get connected to parents and keep kids safe.

The cell phone companies are ignoring the "next big thing", personal safety monitoring. It would be so easy to put the phone camera where it would "see" what the user sees, such as on a headset, then capture images at fixed intervals, upload them to a central repository (such as the cell phone company's computers) automatically (independent of the user), and have them available for the phone owner (or the police with a court order). Imagine the deterent to bullying, crime, or even lying, if you "know" that you are "on Candid Camera". If bandwidth allows, you would also have sound bites, but the main thing is the history shown by the images.

Mobile phones are supplanting common sense

One thing every conversation shares in common is an exchange of information. People like to have conversations because they provide opportunities to learn something new and be social. It's no surprise then that a tool that further facilitates conversations and extends them in new ways is wildly popular. It's called the Internet. Mobile phones are no different, and in fact they combine the Internet with two other dimensions into one device, and convergence makes them an attractive proposition. (1) They enable conversations over distance, (2) in almost any location, and (3) access to the world's information at any given moment. At least, if there's a strong enough signal.

And that surfaces the devious side of relying on any single technology too much. Instead of a person taking the time to understand the geography and landmarks around them, they now turn to a mobile phone for maps and directions tailored to their exact location. That reduces awareness of local surroundings and engenders disconnectedness. For a person with mobile phone addiction, a nearby pizzeria doesn't exist unless it's marked on a Google map. This sort of reliance creates its own sort of emergency if the mobile phone battery dies, or if reception is poor. The addicted user won't know how to regain their bearings.

But maps aren't the only thing we use mobile phones for; they also frequently act as a link between independent children and their parents. Some mobile phones provide built in GPS tracking which can be controlled by parents. That can be a great way to know exactly where a child is within several feet, but what happens if a child forgets that phone at school, drops it in a pool, or gets in a scuffle and destroys it? Besides the false alarm that sends to the parents, will the child be able to cope with a stressful situation without an instant link to their parents? True independence broods a sense of self and encourages tenaciousness-determinedly finding ways to work through life's challenges.

Mobile phones also allow distant friends to stay in touch, even if both of them are traveling at the same time. On one level that seems like a great thing because it provides a security blanket for both travelers, especially when they're in unfamiliar territory. But realistically what will a distant friend be able to do in the event of a nasty surprise? 911 may only be 3 digits away (at least in the United States) but once again that nagging sense of dependence is knocking on the door. On a side note, talking with friends from back home also encourages people to stay in a comfort zone and reduces the chances of making new friends along the way.

So while mobile phones do provide added convenience and access to a globalized network of data centers, they also seem to stupefy our senses. It's almost as though some groups of users perceive the mobile phone as understanding our world better than humans do. Granted, most of the information a mobile phone accesses originated from humans. But everyone should be able to find their way to the local park (where they live) without pulling up Google Maps every time.

I post as both "Gene Cavanaugh" and as "patents", so this is really my second post - hope that is okay. One really great feature, which should be easily implemented, is a "Where are you?" selection. When you suspect someone is driving, or really busy, or just slow to answer, you would key in a code (say, "929" for "WAY" as an acronym for "Where Are You". The phone would then give a distinctive ring, alterting the user to hit a code such as "425" - "IAL" or "I'm At <Location>", where the location would be calculated by the phone company. This does NOT violate privacy - you ASKED the company to provide the information - but it does allow a busy person to notify friends and family where they are with minimal intrusion. The "425" could also be a signal in an emergency, where the last <n> numbers are notified that you are <there>, and that the information is unsolicited (therefore may be an emergency).

As to what other people should not do, I am not much into trying to dictate to others; I have enough of a problem being the right type of person myself - I will take care of ME, and hopefully they will take care of THEM.

Myths? It is not a myth that too much exposure to the fields in any electronic equipment can be a possible risk; but this is with, say, 10 hours a day of continuous exposure, so I would say that this is a myth as far as being a danger to the general public, and as with everything else, if you are acting in moderation, don't worry about it. Extremes are another matter altogether. Power lines, on the other hand, are no risk at all, so perhaps that will prove true of phones, someday.

Mobile as an Emergency Tool

Here in Oregon we learned the hard way that simply carrying a cell phone does not necessarily prevent a tragedy.  Lost in the mountains, the James Kim Family was unable to make calls from  the Rogue River mountain area in which they were travelling.  This region is very sparsely populated and there is only sporadic cell coverage.

However a ping off a cell tower did help searchers locate the Kim's location thanks to some heroic efforts from a cellular provider employee who reviewed data from thousands of calls to determine the approximate location of the Kim Family.   This technique has been used in other search and rescues, and may eventually become a more standard procedure in locating people.  

As cellular coverage approaches 100% of all road miles in America and as GPS capabilities in phones become more and more standardized we are approaching a time when in many cases getting rescued may become as simple as placing a call.    This is already the case in many areas.   I broke down near San Jose, California last month and was very impressed with how quickly the 911 dispatcher got a (free) tow for me off the highway - a service provided by Caltrans to quickly resolve traffic problems.   Without a cell phone I would have had to walk an unknown distance and direction for help in very unfamiliar territory.

A recent Israeli study interviewed people to see how they used their cellular phones in emergencies.   The top five uses in order of most used were as follows (note that they seemed to use the term "emergency" kind of loosely in the study:

1. Late Arrival Someplace
2. Urgent Message
3. Call a Taxi
4. Vehicle Breakdown
5. Getting Directions

As might be expected much lower on the list due to frequency of the "emergency" were much more severe things like "urgent medical problem" and "bodily assault".   However it was clear that the phone has become an integral part of how people report and get emergency information in a very wide variety of circumstances.

Study link: http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/2/5/2/pages1125 20/p112520-1.php

Some tips to make sure your mobile is usable in an emergency:

* Make sure your phone is fully charged before your trip and carry a cell phone charging cable that will work in your car.

* When entering remote areas, note your last area of connectivity so you can return to that spot if you get lost.

* "Line of sight" is important if you are lost and can see towers or clear areas or roads. 
Often the cellular signal can travel for many extra miles if there are no trees obstructing the signal.

* If you become lost do not panic and try to find high ground with clear lines of site in several directions.  Systematically work the phone to try to get a signal in each direction. 

* When talking to emergency operators answer their questions immediately and accurately speak clearly, and don't overwhelm them with information they won't need to find and help you.