Emergency Communications

The two recent storms have opened our collective eyes to the many problems created during prolonged power outages.  The most critical of these is our ability to communicate.  If you live in an area with cell service, all might not be lost.  However, if you reside in an area with little or no cell service, alternative arrangements must be made.

Today most homes are equipped with telephones that require AC power to operate – regardless of being served by AT&T or Cablevision.  If power to the home is lost the phone will not work.  If a standby generator is present (and the phone system is connected) you will probably be OK.

However, if no generator is present, there is still relatively easy solution.  Installing a UPS (uninterruptable power supply, aka battery back-up) that at least one phone (usually the base station) and/or the modem (for cable customers) can be plugged into.  Depending on what else is attached they may last from 15 mins. to a couple of hours.  A UPS is the same device used on computers to protect against loss of data.

If you are an AT&T customer, having one “old fashioned” phone that does not require any AC power can be the answer for power failures.

So if you are looking for that last minute Christmas or Chanukah present this is the perfect answer. Of course the time to be thinking of this is NOW – not when facing the uncertainty of a prolonged power outage so please make sure you have a reliable, accessible back-up plan to allow you to call 911 if there is an emergency.

For questions regarding this, or any fire safety matters, please contact the New Canaan Fire Marshal’s Office at 203-594-3030.