Texting During Emergencies Could Relieve ‘Communications Logjam,’ Nonprofit Tells IPAWS

Cellphone users caught up in an emergency should use text messages rather than phone calls to let their loved ones know they're OK, said Len Pagano, president of Safe America, a nonprofit preparedness organization (http://bit.ly/P1plTA) working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). Pagano spoke at a “strategic discussion” meeting Tuesday at FEMA about the nonprofit’s work with IPAWS. Text messages take up less bandwidth than phone calls, so widespread use of texting during emergencies could help alleviate the “communications logjams” that make calls difficult during incidents like the Boston Marathon bombings or the Sept. 11 attacks, he said. “Text first, talk second,” said Pagano, repeating Safe America’s motto for its emergency texting program. “In an emergency you shouldn’t expect to get on a cellphone and talk for an hour, you should be an efficient user of the space,” he said.

"You can send 800 texts using the same bandwidth it takes to conduct a one-minute phone call,” said Antwane Johnson, IPAWS director. During major events like the 2011 earthquake on the East Coast, “nonessential” calls from ordinary citizens checking on their family and friends can choke the phone system and interfere with first responders’ ability to communicate, said Pagano. Reducing the demand for bandwidth by using short text messages would reduce that problem, he said.

To further reduce the demands on the system, family members or employers should work out ahead of time brief text code for use in emergencies, with the understanding that they will call or email with more information when the emergency has passed, said Pagano. Safe America recommends using the shortest possible messages, such as “R U OK” and “I M OK,” to quickly reassure while still “keeping communications flowing”.

Text messages are also better able than phone calls to get through a congested network, said Pagano. Unlike a phone call, text messages fall into a “queue” -- “even if it gets a ‘busy signal’ on its first try, the text system will continue to keep trying to deliver your message,” said Safe America’s website.

While expressing support for Safe America’s program, an AT&T consultant at the meeting cautioned that before texting during emergencies becomes widespread, the matter should be studied further with traffic analyses and other tools. “Texting isn’t infinite, it’s a finite capability,” said AT&T Mobility Applications Consultant Carl Dixon. He said short texts use less spectrum than phone calls, but an unexpected influx of texts could still slow a carrier’s network. IPAWS and Safe America should “engage with the carrier community” to study the effects of an increase in text messages during a crisis, he said.

Dixon also suggested other ways carriers could help alleviate pressure on phone lines during major disasters. Government voice services already receive preferential treatment from carriers, and he suggested something similar could be done with text messages to facilitate emergency communication. Cellphones also have an “underutilized” capability to be used as location devices, since cell signals must be bounced off cellular towers, Dixon said. Families or employers who issue their staff cellphones can arrange a location service with carriers or third-party companies ahead of time, Dixon said. When an emergency occurs, the service provides an easy way to see if those carrying the phones are nearby, without requiring them to be able to reply or burdening the phone lines.

IPAWS wants “to partner with the private sector and nonprofits” such as Safe America, said Johnson. Though IPAWS and Safe America don’t have a formal relationship, the nonprofit has filmed public service announcements about IPAWS’ Wireless Emergency Alerts, and IPAWS’ Johnson said “Text First. Talk Second” is a good program. IPAWS is seeking partners to help improve emergency communication, particularly in facilitating two-way communication during emergencies or gathering information from social media, Johnson said.