Smartphones Play Expanding Role For Disaster Survivors

By Stephanie Jordan
in

Your smartphone just became even more useful in the event of a disaster. If you are in an area that has been declared a disaster zone, you can now use your smartphone to apply for federal assistance.

This week the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the new feature to the m.fema.gov mobile platform to help disaster survivors apply for federal aid from FEMA, and other federal agencies. With this new functionality, disaster survivors can apply for federal assistance directly through their Web enabled mobile phone devices (such BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, or Windows Mobile).

“This new addition to our FEMA mobile site will provide disaster survivors with another avenue to quickly apply for assistance, not just from FEMA, but from the Small Business Administration and our other federal partners,” says FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “As smartphones become cheaper and more prevalent, and wireless networks more resilient, these devices are becoming more than just simple communication tools - they can be life lines during emergencies.”

FEMA first launched the mobile version of its Web site in May to give smartphone users easy access to information about emergency preparedness for both before and after a disaster. FEMA says it plans to continue making enhancements to the m.fema.gov platform over the coming months, like “providing individuals the ability to check on their application status or update an existing application, among other things.”

 

Published July 22, 2010