Burlingame residents are invited on Saturday, February 8, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. to learn how to stay in touch with others during power outages and other emergencies at a free program called “How to Communicate During Emergencies” presented by the Burlingame Neighborhood Network (BNN) at the Burlingame Community Center, 850 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. There is no admission charge, but advance registration is required at https://bit.ly/BNNcommunicate.
Dr. Rik Kasuga, a BNN board member who also serves as Volunteer CERT Coordinator for Burlingame, will lead a discussion and hands-on demonstration on how to use an app called Zello that turns cell phones into walkie-talkies. He and local HAM radio operators will also show how to use FRS radios to communicate during emergencies. All attendees are encouraged to bring their cell phones, and BNN block leads are asked to invite neighbors and bring the FRS radios that many neighborhood groups have been issued.
“Zello is regularly used to communicate during disasters, and FRS radios and HAM radios are the backbone of a citywide plan that will allow neighbors to request or offer help when other forms of communication are down,” Kasuga said. “Residents who attend this program will learn how they can communicate with and support one another during emergencies.”
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Directions on setting up Zello on your cell phone are available on BNN’s website at https://burlingamenetwork.org/zello.
Founded in 2006, the Burlingame Neighborhood Network encourages neighbors to connect with one another to build a sense of community, become informed about disaster preparedness and support one another during emergencies. For more information, visit burlingamenetwork.org or email info@burlingamenetwork.org.