Tulsa Fire Advises People To Have A Communication Plan In The Event Of An Outage

Emergency responders are highlighting the need for people to have communication plans during emergencies.

The warning comes after Thursday's AT&T outage. Tulsa Fire Department says disruptions could impact emergency response efforts if you’re unable to call them.

The Fire Department says if your phone is in SOS mode or if you have access to Wi-Fi, you can call or text 911. But if you can’t reach your family, that’s why firefighters say you need a plan.

Reliance on a cell phone; a digital bridge that connects everyone to a world beyond holds a lot of memories, entertainment, and, in many ways, security. 

But what happens when that bridge is cut off and there’s an emergency? 

Tulsa Firefighter Andy Little says, in Tulsa, first responders are still just a call or text away.

“Thankfully in Tulsa, if you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can still text 911, which is very helpful. Now that's not something every 911 system has, but we do have that in Tulsa,” Little said.

However, not having cell service also makes reaching friends and family more difficult. That’s why Little says it’s important to have a communication plan.

“You should discuss what should we do if we’re not able to make these phone calls,” Little said. “Should we all meet at one household so we can help each other. You know? What should we do?”

A few recommendations Little says every family should have in their plan are:

1. Set up alternative forms of communication. This can be knowing where to find public Wi-Fi and making sure you have access to it before an emergency happens.
2. Designate a meeting point in case the internet or electronic methods aren’t working.
3. He says you should also know where the nearest landline phone is whether that’s a nearby business or neighbor.

“If you’re not planning for things like this, then when it happens, you’re going to be panicked and scared and you may not know what to do,” Little said. “And when you’re in that state, the possibility of becoming injured or things being worse for your family is much greater.”

Little also says if you have any problems contacting 911 during an outage, you should contact the non-emergency number to let them know.

Related Coverage:

1. Cellular Outage Receives Mixed Reactions From Tulsans Impacted
2. Cellular Outage Causes Disruptions To Travelers At Tulsa International Airport
3. AT&T Says Its Cellphone Network Is Restored After A Widespread Outage Hit Users Across The US