National Survey Shows Most Respondents Have Not Prepared a Home Emergency Plan
Dallas, Texas, July 7, 2009.
AT&T* and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) released survey findings showing the need for households to establish home emergency communications plans that include a �home base� with a corded landline phone in addition to a cell phone for making emergency calls. The findings show that while eight in ten respondents recognize the importance of having both a corded landline and cell phone in their home for use in emergencies, 68 percent do not have a comprehensive plan for dealing with home emergencies.
�More than ever, families need to be prepared for emergencies. Parents and other heads of households must be proactive in educating family members � especially children � about what to do in these situations,� said NENA Chief Executive Officer, Brian Fontes. �A big part of this is knowing about the options available for dialing 9-1-1. The more choices you have to reach 9-1-1 in an emergency, the better, and a corded landline phone should be one of those options. It provides the security of a home phone line connection to 9-1-1 so that in most cases first responders know your home address.�
The survey of 2,000 households in June was commissioned to measure respondents� level of emergency planning and provide insight into their communications preparedness. It found that
many households recognize the importance of having several options to dial 9-1-1 in an emergency and have taken some basic steps to prepare themselves and family members for emergencies. However, most households have not implemented a detailed plan to ensure all members of the household are adequately prepared to contact emergency services and maintain communications with each other.
Key findings from the survey include:
80 percent felt that it is important to have both a corded landline and a cell phone in their home in case of emergency because it provides options to dial 9-1-1 reliably and quickly.
54 percent of those who said they have a landline in their home are not prepared with a corded phone to use in the event of a power outage. Corded landline phones that do not require a/c power for dial tone also work even when the power is out, an important contingency to build into home emergency plans.
68 percent of respondents do not have a comprehensive communications plan in place to deal with home emergencies. A home emergency communications plan includes establishing a �home base� for making emergency calls with a centrally located, easily accessible landline phone; designating a safe location within the home during an emergency and establishing a safe way out of the residence; conducting an inventory of communications items including all landline phones, wireless phones, batteries, and chargers; and making a list of emergency contact numbers. For households with children, additional elements include teaching them about proper use of the 9-1-1 system and making sure they know where the �home base� is for making calls to emergency services.
42 percent of respondents with children ages 3-12 were only somewhat confident or not confident that their child would know what to do in case of a home emergency.
27 percent of respondents� children have not received instruction on how to dial 9-1-1 from home base during an emergency.
�At AT&T, we understand how important communications services are during an emergency, and our priority is to provide customers with reliable services and multiple options to stay in contact,� said Joey Schultz, AT&T vice president consumer marketing. �At home, a landline phone can serve as their reliable �home base� in an emergency, and it can give consumers added peace of mind at an affordable price.�
For emergency communications information and preparedness resources, please visit www.att.com/homebase, www.att.com/peaceofmind, or www.nena.org/education/911-education-resources.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About the National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
NENA serves the public safety community as the only professional organization solely focused on 9-1-1 policy, technology, operations, and education issues. With more than 7,000 members in 48 chapters across the United States and around the globe, NENA promotes the implementation and awareness 9-1-1 and international three-digit emergency communications systems. NENA works with public policy leaders, emergency services and telecommunications industry partners, like-minded public safety associations, and other stakeholder groups to develop and carry out critical programs and initiatives, to facilitate the creation of an IP-based Next Generation 9-1-1 system, and to establish industry leading standards, training, and certifications. Find out more at www.nena.org
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