COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO -- In the aftermath of the tornadoes in the midwest many families used their cell phones to find one another, and not just with calls and text messages, but some also used apps on their smartphones.
Online maps show hundreds of people checked in on Sunday after the tornado struck Joplin, including some who used a panic alert system to call for help.
"Cell phones give us information very, very quickly," Bret Waters with the City of Colorado Springs Emergency Management Office said.
And it is not just the cell phone itself, but rather the apps that are available on it.
In recent years several "disaster apps" have become available including "Guardly," which allows users to connect to their trusted safety network in an emergency.
First responders have also used the apps, and local emergency officials said they are constantly updating how they use technology to save lives.
"We did get a request to send someone out to the Joplin area, one of my staff is out there as we speak helping them work that disaster, and the benefit to us is we get to learn what happened and best practices, especially in regard to technology," Waters said.
Waters said the city of Colorado Springs already uses Facebook and Twitter when they need to communicate with residents in a hurry, tools the El Paso County Sheriff's Office uses as well.
And with those, officials said smartphone apps have also proven helpful.
"Just last month we had a report of a motor vehicle theft, and the gentleman left his iPhone on the front seat and he had an application that allowed him to track the GPS system in the phone," Sgt. Mike Schaller with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said.
Even with the benefits of technology, local first responders said it is still important for families to have an emergency plan in place.
Things to include in your family's emergency plan, a 72 hour survival kit, a safe meeting place in case you become separated, and an exit strategy in case of a fire.
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