Idaho Falls Verizon store hands out chargers to boost disaster readiness

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — To promote National Preparedness Month, Verizon in Idaho Falls gave away 100 portable chargers to residents at their store.

Their goal is to help people prepare their digital go bags in the case of an emergency, such as a wildfire or many other natural disasters where evacuation has to be swift.

A digital go-bag is meant to give some peace of mind and ensure you are prepared for any unforeseen disaster. Verizon suggests:

• Taking photos of essential documents and saving them to the cloud
• Having power units to charge devices
• Pack priceless momentos in waterproof cases
• Download offline maps and emergency apps
• Set up family location sharing and learn satellite messaging

"In my digital go bag, I have all my important documents," Ernesto Guerrero, the Senior Retail Manager at Verizon, said. "I have portable chargers. I make sure that all my devices are completely charged at all times in order for me to make sure that if I need to go, I'm ready for any occasion."

Ernesto and the Verizon stores believe it's important to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

"Due to everything going on in our country, whether it be fire season or flash flooding, you never know when a disaster may strike," Ernesto explained. "So better be prepared than not, and taking the right steps to do so is the first thing that somebody should think through."