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Text "LISTOSCA" to 72345 to
Get Ready for Disaster
Californians Can Now Use Their Phones to Learn How to Prepare for Wildfires, Earthquakes & Floods
Listos California has launched a cutting-edge text message campaign that encourages people to complete five easy and free steps to prepare for wildfires, earthquakes and floods. This tool also connects Californians to the COVID19.CA.GOV website for all information on the virus and resources on how to slow the spread. The campaign will begin promoting this text-based campaign statewide, with a focus on the Central Valley and other hard to reach communities. Californians can sign-up by texting "LISTOSCA" to 72345. They will receive one text message per day, sent at the time they choose, over the course of a week. Each text will include a disaster readiness tip and prompt individuals to take a specific action. By the end of 7 days, participants will have learned how to complete five easy, free, or low-cost steps to protect themselves and their families.
The text message campaign is available now in English, Spanish, Filipino Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean and Hmong. Messages will prompt users to take steps like 1) signing up for emergency alerts from a participant's county, 2) finding phone numbers that will be needed in an emergency and knowing evacuation routes, 3) packing a Go-Bag to be ready for evacuation, 4) creating stay boxes for sheltering in place, and 5) encouraging friends and neighbors to also prepare.
To advance a new culture of preparedness in California, the campaign partnered with Y Combinator start up, Arist, who developed the technology. The platform, which shows high completion and satisfaction rates, has been used by over a dozen Fortune 500 companies for situations from COVID-19 prevention to anti-racism training. The Listos California effort is the first time a state will use this text messaging platform to train and educate the general public.
"We are thrilled to be working with Listos California on such a groundbreaking campaign," said Michael Ioffe, CEO of Arist. "We believe that this approach to training in times of need will lead the way for others. It's exciting to be at the forefront of bringing text messaging and disaster preparedness together."
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