When there’s something strange in your neighborhood, you call Ghostbusters. When there’s someone dangerous lurking, like a criminal who escaped from the van that was transporting him to prison, authorities use One Call Now to get the word out and recapture him. That’s what happened on Friday in Massachusetts.
According to Boston.com, a man escaped police custody while being transported to a medium-security facility in Bridgewater. He managed to evade the unit for two hours, during which officers used One Call Now’s group notification service to coordinate dog units and helicopters to bring him back into custody.
You may know One Call Now as a helpful communications tool for your local sports team or church, or you may be using it to communicate with customers or staff, but to your local police department, it’s a life saver. Police departments all over the US utilize One Call Now every day not only for staffing needs, but also in the search for and apprehension of criminals.
During Police Week, we honor those officers who lost their lives protecting our communities. We thank the peace officers who put their lives at risk every day in order to protect ours. Keeping communities safe is no easy task for authorities, but One Call Now helps to protect, inform and engage officers and their units using a single call, text, or e-mail, keeping them— and you—out of harm’s way.
Is that call dangerous?
We’ve all received that phone call from an “unknown” number. At first, you think it might be important; maybe you’re job-hunting and think it could be an employer calling to set up an interview. What if it’s that guy you met on Saturday? He was cute, maybe he’s calling to ask you out.
Then you answer the phone. It’s not the job, it’s not the guy – it’s a bank, and they say there’s been an error in their system, and they just need your account number so that they can make sure your money is available to you. Better yet, it’s a representative from a major cruise line claiming that you’ve won a free cruise, and they’ll just need to ask you a few questions before they send your tickets.
By this point, I sincerely hope you’ve hung up the phone and reported their number to Scambusters, 800notes, or a similar organization, as someone has just tried to cheat you out of your money, and possibly your identity. How did they get your number? They have ways. Some companies will sell your number purely for profit, and you end up on a list as a potential victim for identity theft. Someone will call you in hopes of convincing you to give out private information over the phone. They’re clever, too: they will do their absolute best to convince you that you need to give them the information they seek. They are manipulative and they prey on ignorance – they want to make you believe that it’s normal to give out your credit card number, your bank account number, or even your social security number over the phone to a total stranger. Please, understand that you never, ever need to give that sort of information out over the phone to anyone, not even if the person is actually from your bank or your credit card company. The people who need to know that information about you already have it and do not need complete numbers over the phone. Keep that in mind when you get a phone call, text message, or even an e-mail that claims to need your personal and private information. That, and let’s face it: as hard as we wish, cruise lines are not going to randomly call and say you’ve won a free cruise.
So, how can you tell when you’re being scammed? Pay attention to the following things to protect yourself:
- Is there a good reason for this company to call you? At One Call Now, we call to give you urgent and informative messages regarding your business, church, sports team, club, or other organization. Companies should not be calling you to gather private, personal information. If they say you’ve won a prize, they should already have all the personal information they need from you if you actually entered/were entered into any contest.
- Does the person calling you claim to be from your bank or other financial institution? Your bank or financial institution already has the numbers they need from you. You should never need to give complete numbers to them over the phone, text, or e-mail. If you have any concerns regarding your bank account or finances, hang up and call your bank or financial institution. They are the people who can tell you if there is a problem with your account.
- Are they insisting upon getting private information from you? You have the right to ask questions and get informative answers. If the caller is insisting upon getting private information, even when you know they shouldn’t need it, they are trying to manipulate. Hang up and report the number to Scambusters.org or 800notes.com.
The next time you get a call from an unknown number, listen carefully to what the person is saying. If a situation seems fraudulent or too good to be true, it probably is. Remember to think twice about giving away any personal information, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t let anyone intimidate you into giving away private information over the phone.
As a leader among message notification providers, we are frustrated by those who use the phone for fraudulent purposes. At One Call Now, we specialize in protecting, informing and engaging groups by sending their messages with a single call, text or email. We have multiple security measures to protect your private information and will not divulge your personal data to outside parties. Additionally, we never SPAM— our recipients are all members of the organizations from which they receive messages. We hope that you find this information helpful. Please pass it along to anyone you feel it would benefit.
The Supreme Court spent three days listening to arguments on whether or not the Family Health Protection Act I (actual name vs Obama Care!) is constitutional.
Hundreds vied for a seat to watch the spectacle. As the last time the court ruled on powers of congress that mandated purchase of specific items was 70 years ago when the court ruled unanimously that Congress did have this power.
Today our managers met to discuss our company’s health care renewal plans.
The bad news from our agent? Our plan rates are going up by 13%, but we decided to absorb 100% of the increase for all employees. We also decided to triple life insurance— and pay for it all as a company enhanced benefit. We pay 100% of health care for all employees, and 80-100 100% for family plan based on tenure.
Having spent time in an Emergency Room recently, it’s disheartening to see those with no choice, no family doctor, no coverage and no prescription plan who beg and plead for help. As an executive, it’s frustrating to know that their unpaid bills are the major cause of our insurance plan increases…
Many will argue that no one should be forced to pay for health care if they don’t want it. Some compare it to being forced to eat broccoli. That analogy is wrong. People choose their vegetables, but they do not choose their genes, viruses, bacterial infections, cardiovascular disease, or accidental injuries.
We provide company paid health care for everyone because it helps our people, their families, our community (and yes, our barely perceptible turnover). Given time, The new mandate will lower our overall costs, while eliminating the threat of uncovered catastrophic illness for all.
How much more justification is necessary?
1974 Xenia, Ohio Tornado
Xenia, Ohio is very well known for its dances with tornadoes over the years. In 1974 it experienced a devastating hit that leveled the town, and again took a massive blow in April of 2000. So, when this week, during an unusually active storm season, Xenia Schools sent out an urgent parent broadcast message using our system… we thought the worst. It turns out they’d only had a power outage at the school and needed to let parents and staff know that school would be cancelled until the repairs were made.
That’s the beauty of One Call Now’s message notification service. Whether it’s the emergency you expect, or the one you don’t, you’re always prepared. We breathed a sigh of relief for the City of Xenia, and they did, too. They’re prepared. Are you?
Practice, practice, practice!
I love that corny line from the 1950’s because it rings true for almost everything; music, sports, and even communications. Practice makes perfect.
Having said that, this week has been declared Ohio’s official Severe Weather Awareness Week. Communities across the state are practicing their tornado drills and emergency response systems, especially here in Tornado Alley where 5 tornadoes already hit earlier this month.
In addition to practicing physical or “take-cover” drills, practicing one’s communications procedures is also critical to avoid any delay alerting your citizens, students, or employees. If you only use your emergency notification system once a year during drills, or worse, not until there is an actual severe weather emergency, you risk needless delays as responders and administrators struggle to recall – under intense pressure – how the darn thing works.
In such situations, the One Call Now mass notification system offers a significant advantage for officials: Familiarity. While One Call Now is a world-class emergency alert solution, it is usually used on a regular basis for more routine communications as well. Therefore, the people responsible for sending alerts are completely familiar with the system through constant use. So, when an actual emergency hits, there is no delay as people struggle in the urgency of the moment to recall how to initiate their emergency communications. In a situation where mere minutes can make a difference – familiarity matters. Practicing all your procedures, including sending critical communications, saves lives.
5 Top Tips for Tornado & Severe Weather Preparedness.
1. If you remember nothing else, remember to DUCK:
D – Go DOWN to the lowest level
U – Get UNDER something
C – COVER your head
K – KEEP in shelter until the storm has passed
2. Develop and document a disaster plan.
- Make sure everybody in your organization knows their roles and responsibilities; where to go and what to do.
- If you are a business, school, or agency, you should also have a specific safety plan for those with special needs. Narrow stairwells may not accommodate wheelchairs.
- Keep a battery operated NOAA weather radio on site so you can receive information and instructions from emergency response officials even if the power goes out. Also maintain a supply of flashlights, batteries, and drinking water.
- If you are responsible for your physical facilities, make sure you practice turning off the utilities at the main switches. This is an often forgotten step.
3. Practice your emergency procedures and conduct drills on a regular basis throughout the year, not just annually prior to the severe weather season.
4. The safest place to be during a tornado is a basement. But if there is no basement in your building, go to a small windowless interior room such as a bathroom, on the lowest level and as close to the center as possible. Avoid large rooms such as auditoriums or cafeterias.
5. If you’re caught outside or in your car, head to the nearest building and find a suitable safe room on a lower level. Your car offers little protection during a tornado. Nor do bridges and underpasses offer any additional safety. As a last resort, lie flat in a low spot or roadside ditch.
