2 Life Hacks That Might Help You In An Emergency Situation

Just a few weeks ago, a man walked into the Cielo Vista Walmart and opened fire on innocent shoppers. 22 people died. 27 were injured. No one expected that to happen on a regular El Paso Saturday morning. There is no warning that something like that will happen to you. I would never pretend to know what to do in that situation, but I do know that something my family did during the incident made me upset in the days after. We've all decided to do one thing that might make a difference in a situation like that.

Emergencies like hurricanes can be planned for, but there is another life hack that might help you in an emergency that you might not have thought of:

1. Change your outgoing message on your phone - I know we aren't often in the path of a natural disaster, but this might be handy if you camp or do some other activity that might get you lost or in need of help. Last year, there were news reports that suggested that if you lose internet connection and need help, you should change your outgoing phone message to reflect your emergency. Note the date and time you record your message, what the emergency is, and where to find you. You don't need internet to do this. It is a feature of your phone, not the web and if someone tries to call you, they will get your information.

2. Turn your phone off - I've been doing a lot of articles in the aftermath of the Walmart shooting here in town. My family was calling and texting each other during the shooting and only in hindsight did I realize that we could have given someone's position away with a ring tone or text notification. My family is now turning our phone ringers off when we go into a public place. You can always check to see if someone is calling or texting you, but in an emergency situation, you might not think to do that. I hate that we need to think about these things, but I also hate that 22 people were killed down the street from my house.